Prophecy of the Zoids
by The FireFox
Summary: An ancient prophecy has been evoked of Zi. What?! The only person who can save Zi is a girl w\ a major attitude problem. Its a battle of the sexes b\n her and Raven. Well it was nice knowing Zi. Chapter seven: Shadow's of the Heart
1. Awakening

Note: This story may parallel the Zoids cartoon at some points and not others so understand that it was written before I saw all the episodes. So don't mail bomb me with telling me that the story was inaccurate. I know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids or any of the characters except for the ones I created myself. I mean think about it if I did. This wouldn't be a fan fic and I wouldn't live in Arkansas.

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NOW

THE FIRE FOX PROUDLY PRESENTS: Prophecy of the Zoids. 

Chapter One- The Awakening

Nothingness…….nothingness……nothingness……. Then the void was replaced by a liquid inferno of flames. The flames pooled into the center of the unconscious abyss. The pond of fire feed off the emptiness, increasing its hinterland. Shapes began to form out of the lake of fire, trees, land, villages, an entire world. Planet Zi, as the quixotic dreamer remembered it. When the planet was covered with flora and vegetation, creatures, reptiles, birds, and fishes, as most people could not even picture in their mind's eye, scenes of life played on the planet. 

The sleeper watched the portrayal of all the events of an ancient people, the slumberor watched months, years, centuries past by. Watched the lives of the people scurry into oblivion like the mosquito flies into the light only to die. Watched the wars of the inhabitants destroy their own lives and the lives of others. Watched the destruction spread like wildfire over the planet eating everything in its path and leaving nothing but the ashes of decay and death. Watched the survivors rebuild and control the fire for warmth and health. Watched the citizens' progress in their science and technology. Watched them become to civilized for war and fighting, yet building bigger and better bombs. Watched the animals live. The sleeper remembered how it used to love the animals and birds. How it loved life, but that wasn't important now. It was in the past. Must watch. Then the sleeper came to its own time, watching its own life plot unfold. Watched itself grow-up from a child to a teenager, watched itself make friends and rivals and fight with them both. Watched with a detachment borne of a coldness of the soul. A disdain created because it was tired of hurting, tired of dying, just tired. It was easier to be cold, survive than it was to be passionate, live. It watched. The planet of liquid fire blurred, became distorted. It diverted its attention to the sky. Two magnificent beings stared at each other posed for confrontation in the endless void of space. One a dragonic beast and the other was pheniox looking bird.

-One is **DRAGON SHADOW; **it is **darkness**. It represents existence, death, etc. The other is** PHENIOX FORCE**; it is **light**. It represents an uncontrollable, unattainable hunger for pleasure: to destroy, create, anything. 

"That is nice to know, but what has that have to do with me?" questioned the sleeper a bit grumpily. (I might add that the sleep is not really a morning person meaning that it doesn't enjoy being awoken.)

-They are the symbols of prophecy. The dark and light. Both must exist together, be in balance. For life cannot continue, renew itself without death. Who is to say what light is without dark?-

"This is all very interesting, but, again, what does this have to do with me?" said the sleeper with such icy undertone it made the _speaker_ shiver inadvertently.

-Two different men awaked them: each wanting to control Zi. The light and dark usually do not hate each other; in fact, they know that each must exist in order from each of their own survival. But the beings feed off their master's hate for the other. The two beasts were unsuited to such raw feelings so that when their masters told them to battle- they did. The **PHENIOX FORCE** and the** DRAGON SHADOW** fought. The lightness and the darkness, the day and night, fire and earth, both must **be** in order for life to continue. Yet they fought.

The figures in the sky launched themselves at each other. Tearing at the other's throat. The pheniox called on its powers of fire and light. The dragon called on its powers of earth and darkness. The pheniox arched its graceful body in preparation for an attack on the dragon. The dragon spread its wings in anticipation of the pheniox's attack. The pheniox cried its war cry and attacked. The war went on for a while; each dodging or getting hit by the others blows. Finally each prepared for their final attack. The pheniox let lose its fire and the dragon let lose its darkness. The firebird started to fall back to the earth; its once glorious wings where now crumpled like a piece of paper. The fire that it consisted of was now replaced with a dreariness that the sleeper had never seen before.

-_But the **DRAGON SHADOW** did not have a complete victory over the **PHENIOX FORCE**. As the **PHENIOX FORCE** fell to the earth, she could feel the **DRAGON SHADOW**'s power of existence cloak over the world. It was to late for the native beings of the planet. They must die or live on their own. But she could help the animals in some small way. They would die, yet live on. She intertwined her power with that of existences, so when existence enclosed around the animals, they became the metallic life forms that are now called ZOIDS. Most of the original Zoidains died, but some survived the wars. Humans from neighboring galaxies soon came across Zi and settled it for themselves. The star travelers where amazed by the ZOIDS. They had never seen them before on any other planet. The ZOIDS had kept the shape of the animal that they were once. They had kept their animal shape so the inhabitants of Zi would never forget them._

The sleeper remained quiet. So this was what happened to her and her friends. She had barely been seventeen when the insane men had awoken the beasts. Memories of her past life came flooding back to her. Memories that would have made her coming awakening easier if they would have stayed forgotten returned to her. She remembered what she did for a living after everything living had ceased to live. 

She returned to watching Zi's history. Some of the Zoidains had survived. Strangely enough she did. She had never been really physically strong or fit. She had always been fit enough, but not one who you would have thought could have survived it. She was wholly broken after everything ceased. She became a mercenary. She was feared by all and hired by the rich. The people gave her the name of Cold Fire. Her name was used to threaten little kids into behaving. Yet that still did not explain what she was doing here.

She then watched the ancients Zoidains come into their own. Watched them repeat the triumphs, mistakes, and lives of her people. She watched their history. Watched them work on the Zoids, improving them. Watched them live their lives of meaningless existence. She just watched.

-_It now has been over a century since the confrontation of the light and the dark. You have slept all these years. Time has continued and continues. Life on Zi has resumed its natural coarse.-_

"Then why have you awoken me from my happy oblivion? Only to inform me my friends, family, way of life has died along with you so- called **_PHENIOX FORCE_**?" asked the girl in a bitter and deceivingly calm voice. "To show me all the living things that I held dear to me was changed to those lifeless metallic Zoids-things. If you wished to endear yourself to me, you certainly aren't doing a good job."

-I am only telling you the facts as they happened- The _speaker_ was taken back with the timbre of the voice. The _speaker_ certainly didn't expect the girl to be so calm. The _speaker_ then realized that the girl was most likely retreating back into her shell of ice. She was that way when the _THEY_ had captured her and sealed her in the sleep. **_HE _**had told her to be careful when handling the girl. Well, anger was stronger than grief, and the girl must survive at all costs. Yet at the same time, for her to protect the world against the prophecy, she must be alive physically and spiritually.

-A mad man has re-invoked the prophecy of light and darkness in hopes of gaining control of the world. You must stop him, or this time Zi will not survive. -

"Why should I care?" the girl asked in a frozen voice. "Zi binds me in no ways with all my friends, family, and life gone. It would have been better that I died instead of being here today."

-You will not let Zi die. You will not let all the innocent lives be destroyed. You will not let what happened to you happen to countless people again. It is not in you.-

"Are you really so sure?" asked the girl. "Are you willing to risk the lives on me?"

-There is no risk. A risk is when you have options. No one else can do the job. You are the last of your kind. You surely realize that you were never quite all human. So if you do not fight it all ends of Zi-

"What do you mean 'not quite all human'?" asked the girl skeptically. She remembered that she was somewhat different. She had friends, enough, sure, she was quick witted and had a sharp tongue. Her presence was never really dreaded. She wasn't really a rebel or an outgoing person. She never gave her trust to anyone to easily. She was always afraid of something bad happening. She had always told her that she was afraid of being hurt or betrayed by someone. At the same time, she was approachable. Once drawn out of her den, she could talk and talk. She wasn't really shy. She liked to think that she was withholding or cautious. Yet she never felt she fit in with the rest of her peers. She was always fascinated with the woods or animals. Things most people thought little about after they reached a certain age engrossed her. She dreamed most of the time and was always scared that the dreams would master her- become the only thing she wanted. She saw all the tangled, twisted routes of the paths, while others only saw the dirt path, itself. No, she had never been quite human.

-You were a **PHENIOX **before the battle. You had power running through your veins. So did some of your friends, but you were the most powerful. You are a daughter of a very powerful **DRAGONSHADOW**. However, after the battle, the aftermath of the two powers merged creating a new power. The new power needed a sanctuary, so it fastened itself to your being. To uproot one would be to uproot the other, the power is now you as you are the power.-

A cold rage was building up inside of the girl: she did not like being used. "You will regret the day that you awoken me," the girl said in arctic tones, "Phiona."

The **PHENIOX QUEEN** had **not** expected the girl to name her. No, perhaps the girl **was** stronger then she had anticipated. Maybe she should have gone about it another way. **PHIONA** sensed a new presence.

So the girl has roused, has she? She named you by blood name, yes; a blood name is a powerful thing indeed. Even I don't know your blood name.

She is more powerful than either of us bargained for.

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The girl slowly opened her eyes. She was in the desert. The girl stood up and looked around with an ice cold. She did not know how she was going to get out of the desert. Nor at this time did she really care. She acted as if she was a block of stone incapable of caring. Life held no hope or joy for her, just a stupid prophecy that she wanted no part. If it had not been for the prophecy her life might have been wrought living. She suddenly realized that she was not alone. The girl looked around and spotted a black dragon looking zoid. She recalled that they were called organoids- special zoids who were able to fuse with the battle zoid to enhance its capabilities. She didn't fear it has it walked closer to her and took her away to who knows where. After all she was Cold Fire; she didn't fear anything.

The black organoid did not know why it was drawn to this girl. His master would be sore at him for leaving so abruptly. Master would probably be very mad at him for bring this girl back, but he just had to protect her. She was something from his past before he was Shadow. And besides if the silver one could have that Zoidain girl, why couldn't he have a girl?

"Shadow where have you been?" accused an angry (well more angry than usual) Ravin. 

As an answer to its master's question, the black organoid dropped the now comatose girl on the sandy ground.

Ravin walked over to the girl. He studied her with a measuring stare. She was neither pretty nor ugly. Her layered auburn hair reached down to just above the small of her back Her skin tone was an ivory color. From what he could tell, she was about five foot five when she was standing. She was nicely proportioned; she was not too skinny or too fat. Her eyebrows and eyelashes were a dark brown, which would probably accent green eyes thought the boy. She was just a normal looking girl. She was wearing a pair of black-heeled boots and black flare pants. Her shirt was a gold color, which was covered by a black jacket that flowed down to the middle of her thigh.

When Ravin stepped closer to the girl to get a better look at her, Shadow suddenly jumped over the girl, standing in between her and his master. The organoid crouched and revealed his sharp, pointed teeth at his master. The organoid truly did not understand why he felt he must protect her, but he did, just the same. She was a link, Shadow thought, to a time before he was Shadow. NO ONE, not even Master, would harm this girl not while he was still alive.

"What the crap, Shadow?" yelled Ravin. Shadow had always been dedicated to his wants. He was seriously about to severely reprimand his organoid and demand its reasons for bringing this girl here, when he noticed that she was stirring. She slowly lifted herself to a standing position. She was about five foot five. She shook the sand and debris out of her hair. She turned to look at Ravin. Ravin involuntarily stepped back. He had never seen such _cold, frozen_ eyes before, especially from a girl. Those dark brown stared into his soul it seemed like. Those eyes held no fear of anything, not even death or him. They seemed to almost invite death to them, as if life held no more meaning to them. 

"Who are you?" Ravin asked accusingly once he pulled himself out of his train of thought.

The girl smiled malevolently, mocking Ravin's ignorance. "There once was a time when the strongest warriors shrank to sniveling babies crying for their mothers at my presence. People ran from my shadow. But that was in the past, perhaps the current people need to have a history lesson?" questioned the girl with a sideways tilt of her head. "Only the richest and most powerful could afford to hire me, yet even my employers were not safe from my blood-lust. I exist solely to extinguish the fire of life. I _am_ Cold Fire."

"Roooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!"(a\n- I suck at sound effects) cried Shadow at the end of the girl's speech. He had felt the power stir and awaken within the girl. Still he was somewhat confused, this was not how he had thought the girl would be like. 

"Hmph. Your pretty speech does not move me. I think it is just all talk. I have never met a strong girl, and I don't recall any Cold Fire from my history lesson. I was a particularly astute student, too," said Ravin smugly.

"I cannot be blamed for your ignorance."

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Author's note: I hope you enjoyed the first part of my fanfic. This is my first time to write one. 

Please review it! I will take any comments or suggestions. No flames please. Don't be too hard on me though. Van, Fiona, and the gang will appear later in the game, so don't think that I have forgotten them. Please, please review. See ya. 


	2. Re-emergence of Cold Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids or anything besides a mutt dog and a stupid cat. Wish I did though. 

Author's Note: I hope you like the fanfic so far. I wish I didn't have to type this. Oh well, here goes nothing.

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Ages: Cold Fire- 17

Ravin (hottieJ )- 18

We last left our intrepid young heroes in the desert. They were having a nice little chat getting to know one another. Awwwweeee, ain't (yes, I know that is not a word, really you people, just because I live in Arkansas!) that cute.

NOW

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THE FIREFOX READILY PRESENTS: PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

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"I cannot be blamed for your ignorance."

She said those words with such cold assuredness that Ravin could really believe everything she said. _Cold Fire,_ he thought, _is an accurate description of the girl. I sure would hate to be the victim she was hired out to, um, dispatch. Yes, Cold Fire does describe the girl quite well._

"Well," said Ravin on an inspiration, "when are you going to give me that history lesson?"

The sides of the girl's mouth turned up, giving her face a mordant grin. _So he wants to see Cold Fire's flames, does he; thinks he can control me? Well I will have to dispel that allusion. Anyway at the least it will be good to see how much my power has withered since my sleep._

"Okay," she said in a deceivingly compliant tone of voice. "You wanta see me in action, fine. I promise you this though- once I start there is no stopping till I have burnt myself out: till I have satisfied my hunger. 

"And if you have as good as a rep as you say," Cold Fire smiled condescendingly, "I just might impress you and all without a Zoid."

As the girl talked, she moved towards Ravin. Her movements reminded Shadow of the way a bombastic puma would walk, not afraid of anything. It reminded Shadow of a creature, who had long ago ceased to exist.

*************************A few weeks later**************************************

They had finally arrived at a military base. It belonged to the Republic and was medium in size and personnel. The base was strategically located in the desert where trade caravans where known to pass. However the base was not a good example of a clean base. Security had been stepped up a bit, since the near by villagers had noticed their teenage daughters were missing. It had only been a few a first, but now more and more girls were disappearing. 

"That base will do for the re-emergence of Cold Fire, don't you agree?" observed Ravin sarcastically. The last few weeks had been hard on Ravin, well; let's just say that the Genosaurer does not accommodate two people comfortably. She did not talk to Ravin unless he asked her a question directly, not that Ravin really wanted to talk much. The icy silence that surrounded her was just unnerving at times. 

It also ruffled Ravin's feathers that the girl seemed to prefer the company of Shadow to his own marvelous self. His organoid did have a fascination with the girl. Worse part of it was the fact of Shadow obeying some of Cold Fire's commands. Whenever the he and Cold Fire got into an argument on whose turn it was to go get firewood or sleep outside it usually ended up with him, Ravin going out to get the wood or whatever. _Just what did Shadow see in this girl that he would follow her around like a sick zoid? _(a\n-remember there are no longer any puppies on the planet ZiL ) wondered Ravin.

Cold Fire jumped out of the Genosaurer and looked around the vast wasteland that surrounded her. It was a dreary sort of place just sand and gray low hung clouds. 

"I will wait till dusk before I begin."

"My Genosaurer can attack at any time of the day or night," replied Ravin wanting to cut Cold Fire down. The girl was just so DAMN cocky; she thought she was more 'efficient' then Shadow and he. How she was going to destroy the entire base without a Zoid was beyond him. And _why_ had Shadow brought this arrogant girl to him. 

What was worst still was Cold Fire's characteristic to never get provoked. No matter how he baited her, she never responded. She, on the other hand, knew how to bait Ravin. No one else knew who to ruffle Ravin's feathers quite as well as she did.

As if reading Ravin's thoughts Cold Fire retorted "I wish to eat and rest from being cramped up in that zoid of yours. And I **will** destroy that base in the time it would take you with using a zoid."

"My way is more efficient simply because without a zoid no one can easily identify me. Even you, Ravin, must admit that anyplace where there are people around, you are easily identified because of your Genosaurer," Cold Fire explained in a solemn tone, which was normal for her.

"I will have no such handicap. I also don't actually have to go into the camp to lay waste to it: I simply have to be within eye's range since I haven't seen this base before," went on Cold Fire in a toneless voice. "Since I don't actually have to get near the base, no one will no who was the anarchist."

Ravin could not help but wonder at her. She had always seemed so sure of herself and powers. He smiled at the thought of her failure; it would shut her up fast enough.

"But now we must eat and in order to eat we must have some firewood to cook the food," said Cold Fire with an evil smile. She knew how much Ravin hated to go get firewood ever since she had "accidentally" broken his portable stove after overhearing him tell Shadow how stupid he thought she was. _It serves Ravin right_ thought Cold Fire _he should not talk so loud if he is going to tell secrets._

"And if I remember right it is your turn to collect the firewood." said Cold Fire with Shadow nodding in agreement.

Ravin frowned at the prospect of trying to find enough firewood for supper out in the desert. He was about to argue the point that he distinctly remembered going to get the firewood last time, but decided against it. Last time he sent her and Shadow (like he could have stopped Shadow, he was so besotted with the girl) to go out in search of firewood he ended up going hungry for hours, till, he got fed-up and went to look for her. Cold Fire had taken Shadow on an errand that should have taken only fifteen minutes at the least-**NOT** five hours! And not wanting to admit it to himself, he was getting worried about the girl. It turned out she and Shadow had found some wild berries by a pond. After she had eaten her fill, she and Shadow went swimming in the crystal clear pond. After thoroughly exhausting herself in the water, she found a nice place for a nap. She didn't have to fear anything happening to her with Shadow guarding her while she slumbered. The worst part was Shadow not letting him, his master, wake the girl up. Ravin figured Cold Fire was not even sorry for it to this day.

Cold Fire smiled to Shadow at the sight of an angry Ravin stomping off into the desert in search of firewood; it would probably take him hours (she smiled even more at the thought)._ That should learn him to question my intelligence within earshot._

"So Shadow, does the Genosaurer pick up any good radio stations?"

"Rrrrooaaarrr" (Not only that but digital cable too).

"You sure know how to work a girl, Shadow," said Cold Fire. "Do you think Ravin would go for installing an a\c unit in the Genosaurer?" ********************************Evening***************************************

Cold Fire walked over to a ledge, her boots slightly making clicking sounds against the damp stone of the ledge. She looked out over the entire base. She saw all the men scurrying about the base; she suffered no pains of guilt thinking about killing those people. It reminded her of drone bees buzzing about the hive only to die the next spring. Breaking her train of thought about her up-coming job, she looked beyond the base into the horizon. The horizon used to mean something to her, used to symbolize new promises her innermost soul whispered. Not anymore it, like life, held or meant nothing to her.

She turned her head to stare back at Ravin, as if measuring him by some unknown standards. Giving him a smug, detached smile Cold Fire turned back her attention to the army base. If she found in him what she was looking for, he certainly could not figure it out from her actions. She looked up to the empty horizon and noticed the sun was setting.

"As the sun sets so will the lives of all who reside in the base."

She lifted her face up to the setting sun, pleading to it not to run away. She spread her arms out to the setting sun. Her silhouette looked like a dark cross. Dusk began to spill over the land like death upon the human soul.

She spread her awareness out across the land. She was AWARE of everything from Ravin's thoughts to the exact number of dust particles in a given corner of the base. Her awareness slowly spilt over the land like the night falling. She let her _being_ overflow to every notch and curve within the base. She could have said was everything was located within the place. She could have told Major Fisher where he left his other black sock, but that was of no consequence now. She felt the lives of the people that lived there. She felt the lusts of the men, and the terror of the lost girls. She simply _was._

Cold Fire then reached within her soul, her innermost-self for her namesake. Most people have a heartfire that burns within their soul. The heartfire gives off empathy and compassion as its flames. It allows one to love, to be human. Her heartfire was truly cold. She felt no compassion or empathy toward anyone save her own well being. She wasn't even remotely human in this state. It is state she felt **nothing**, love or hate, joy or sorrow. It was a tiredness of the soul. It was emptiness. It was a hunger that burned and never could be satisfied. Cold Fire stood outside of herself looking in at her. A sad smile crossed her lips at the frozen flames burning where her heartfire should have burned. Her face was unused to showing any emotion. It was just so much easier to be cold than alive. She stepped into the frozen flames of her soul. Meshing her being with the cold fire of hunger for turmoil. Becoming one with it. Being the cold fire, so she truly was _Cold Fire_.

Cold Fire harnessed her power and…

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Ravin had begun to doubt if anything was going to happen. She had been standing with her arms stretched out to the sun for a while now. Maybe all she said was just talk, but she had given the impression of her powers being real. Just then as the sun retreated behind the horizon, he felt a rush of something he had never felt before. He didn't know how to explain what he felt. 

"Rrrrooooooaaaaaaarrrrrr" screamed Shadow as the power flooded over the land. His senses seemed to tingle at the arrival of the power. He hadn't felt such in a long time. *****************************************************************************

It was building up in her. She was losing control of it. It was becoming too powerful to control. The recesses of her mind were screaming with terror. _Just a little longer_ she thought. An uncontrollable hunger for destruction was building up in her. _Concentrate_.

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Ravin suddenly brought his attention back to Cold Fire. Her hair was starting to rise in the air as if surfing on the power that was radiating from her. _She was the source of all this _thought Ravin. 

She turned her head back to stare at Ravin, again still searching for something and undecided about the same thing. The sight of her eyes took Ravin back. Arctic inferno reflecting within the dark drown crevasses horrified Ravin to the core. An alarm arose out of Ravin at the sight of such capability for merciless destruction (a\n: I mean even he had his limits).

Then suddenly the temperature dropped at least fifty degrees. Everything became dead quiet. The cold fire suddenly exploded into the air and was let lose at the base. Whatever dam had been holding it back had broken. Both Ravin and Shadow could fell the endless craving for chaos that came from the power. It flooded over everything within a mile. The earth shuddered with the energy; something like this had not been born for centuries. It was almost unnatural in the present day and time. It tore through the walls of the base, and ripped through the mountains as if it were passing through a thin sheet of ice. It was a rabid with desire for anarchy. The power consumed everything, which showed the remotest signs of life. It ripped life away from everything with bloody fang, though with each kill it only became more ravenous. Nothing was safe from the cold fire. The base did not even know that the beast was upon it till everything, man and zoid alike was dead. _It would not have mattered anyway_ thought Ravin. _There is no defense for **that**_.

Everything, save Ravin and Shadow, within a mile radius of the base simply ceased to exist. 

Cold Fire began to regain consciousness as her eyes focused on the obliteration she had caused. She had almost killed herself. She smiled at the irony- to be consumed by your own soul. A part of her told her she was stupid to have pushed herself so far. The hard part had not been fueling the destructive power, but getting it to spare Shadow and Ravin. It had taken more control then she had surmised. Well she had always been one for and entrance. Zi had better remember its history lessons if it wanted to survive.

She didn't care. Those people did not mean anything to her. A sardonic smile crossed her lips. 

***************************Five Weeks Later*********************************

"Dr. D" cried military personnel. "Another freak attack has occurred. This time at the Dragon's Head Base."

"Where there any survivors?" asked Dr. D. Even before he finished asking the question he knew what the answer would be.

"No."

It was the same answer every time. Countless lives had been lost and there was no way to identify just how many. Nothing ever remained save for the building themselves. The buildings were usually in pretty good shape, yet hollowed out. No zoids, people, or computers- nothing remained save the stone. Yet the buildings were not the same, they looked like mere specters of their former selves. It made him tremble to look at them. The bases were never rebuilt or restocked. The military leaders gave impressive excuses for not doing so, but Dr. D knew the truth. Everyone was to shaken to return to the place where death had been let lose.

He had been called in to invent some sort of device to alert bases of the attack. Even with all of his ancient Zoidain knowledge, he hadn't been able to identify the source of the attack. He hadn't hitherto been able to find a pattern to the attacks, except that they all occurred at sunset. The destruction was not solely limited to just the base either. Ill placed villages and unfortunate people in the wrong place at the wrong time were also caught by the death hound. He placed his head in his hands and shook his head with sorrow for all those people

Van, Fiona, andThomas Shubaltz walked in the room.

"One of the satellites was able to pick up this picture from the Dragon's Head base attack. I thought it might help you identify the source of the attacks," said Thomas.

He uploaded the information from the computer to reveal a startling image. It portrayed a blacked haired boy, a black organoid, a Genosaurer, and a strange girl.

"Ravin," hissed Van, "I should have known he was behind this. Look he has taken some girl hostage, too." (Van's not to bright is he)

"Wait," said Thomas.

The girl stared toward the base as the sun was setting. She raised her hands to the sun. A breeze seemed to be playing with her hair: it was a sweet sight. But, the strange thing was Ravin's hair was still. Just as the sun crept behind the horizon, merging the land with darkness, the girl threw back her hand and head. An insane laughter rose up from the girl: Shadow roared in unison. Suddenly everything was no more, save the afore mentioned group.

The room was taken back by the display. 

"Is she the source?" asked Thomas.

"It would seem so," answered Dr. D amazed. In his entire life, he had never seen, no imagined in his wildest nightmares, anything like this.

"It was what I thought," replied Thomas. "But exactly what _is_ she?"

"I don't know," said Dr. D coming out of his thoughts.

"Do you think she could be an ancient Zoidain?" asked Van.

"I doubt it," sighed Dr. D, "in all my research I have never came across anything mentioning a hint of such power. Whatever she is she is truly powerful. I suspect that there is no defense to be invented for her."

"No she is not Zoidain," said Fiona in a haunted voice. "She is something out of a history before my time."

The group silently returned their attention back to the monitor. The girl was now speaking to Ravin.

A sardonic smile crossed the girl's lips as she turned to face Ravin.

"I told you I was just as good as you and your Genosaurer."

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Author's note: How do you all like it so far? I know it is somewhat slow but I hope to speed it up in up coming chapters. Please review. I will take any and all suggestions I know that this chapter was somewhat boring but the next should be better (I hope). Sorry it is taking so long b\n chapters but school is winding down and I am still playing catch up in some of my classes -thinks of chemistry and shudders-. It is kinda funny to think that I willingly go to purgatory each day. You would think I would learn. NEway tell me what you think and a **BIG **thanks to all those who reviewed. You all don't know how good you made me feel. I'll be seeing ya.


	3. Ephemeral

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids. O boy the chicken is done.

Author's note: Is it just I or do all the "bad" people have the cooler gizmos? I mean that Hilt's Ambient, Raisée's Specular, and Shadow are all way cooler looking than Zeke, at least they have more character in their design than Zeke. And Ravin is so much better looking than Van. Not to mention Ravin can battle w\out Shadow while Van seemingly can't. Did I mention Ravin is so much cuter, smarter, sophisticated, and cosmopolitan than Van. I dunno. Maybe it's just me. Tell me what you think.

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THE FIREFOX PROUDLY PRESENTS: PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter 3- Ephemeral

"I told you I was just as good as your Genosaurer."

Ravin could not help but smile at the girl's impertinence. She had just destroyed another army base and killed thousands of people. And all she cared about was proving him wrong. He just had to laugh at the scenario.

"Do you often find it funny when you have to eat your own words?" Cold Fire asked confused. 

At that statement Ravin just laughed louder.

"What may I ask that I have done that is just sooo funny, Ravin?" Now Cold was getting mad, she usually didn't mind it when people made fun of her. But this was ridiculous. What she had hoped would get Ravin infuriated was making him double over with laughter. This was not right! It was HER that always knew how to "rub Ravin the wrong way", and what was suppose to deflate Ravin's damn pride made him blow up with laughter. _The world is a twisted place,_ thought Cold Fire, _still._

Ravin looked over at her while she was asking the question. She had put her hands on her hips and was standing with her heels adjacent to one another. She had her head lifted as if she was balancing an object that must not fall at all costs. She had shifted her face into a distorted version of its form self with a look that could kill. The thought made Ravin laugh even harder since he realized that she _looked_ at the bases when she extinguished them up.

Cold Fire narrowed her eyes. She did not think the situation was funny at all. Proving Ravin wrong was supposed to make him cry but not from laughter. Well, if she couldn't get him to cry with defeat, she _would _get him to cry some other way. Her face lit up with an ingenious smile. She walked slowly back to their camp in deep thought.

Ravin should have known Cold Fire well enough by then to realize she would not give up so easily, but it was all just to funny. The best part had to be his finally getting the better of her. He had tried numerous times, yet had always failed. She, on the other hand, always knew what to do to make his day worst. So in what should have been her glorious exulted achievement turned out to be her derisory cataclysm. IT WAS JUST TO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

And it was.

"Now where did I see that paint? OH, over there," said Cold Fire. "We will just have to wait." _However I had better do something now or he will get specious. If I can't get him to cry with defeat then how about crying with pain _she thought spitefully

Cold Fire marched purposely back to where she had left Ravin doubled over with laughter. _Soon he will be doubled over but not with laughter._

Shadow had to admit (but not to Cold Fire) that it was kind of funny. It was the first time Ravin had actually made her aggravated. However when he saw her coming back from the camp, he felt anxious for his master. Cold Fire was never one to just fume about something.

"Rrroaaar." (You had better run.)

"Why?" Ravin managed to ask between sprouts of laughter.

"Rrroaaaarrr." (She coming towards you, and she doesn't look too happy.)

Shadow was starting to get really concerned about his master's life when he noticed her carrying something by her side.

"Rrrrrrroooooaaaaaaaarrrrr." (Run. She is really mad! Is that a frying pan she has?!)

"No, it is not a frying pan, Shadow," said Cold Fire in a cold, calm voice.

"Rooaaarrrr." (Oh -.-')

Ravin had managed to quit laughing long enough to stand up. He was thinking out his half-felt apology when he noticed her ambling towards him. She didn't seem angry at all. What had Shadow been talking (roaring?) about? He had never seen her so collected before. WAS she even smiling? Maybe she had realized just how funny it was. 

"Rooooaaaaaarrrr." (The calm before the hurricane) _Doesn't he realize how MAD she is? What has gotten into Ravin? _thought Shadow._ Well it was nice knowing Ravin_.

"Hello Ravin," said Cold Fire in a voice evocative to her name. She walked up to him with her hand casually behind her back.

Ravin looked at her funny. Something was definitely wrong.

"You know back in my time they had an old saying 'Knowledge is true power', did you know that?" she asked in a low-key voice, which promised something was going to happen.

"Ummmm. No," said a perplexed Ravin. He thought she was going to do something awful to him. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe he underestimated her (a\n- not likely). A feeling of relief swept over him. This day could not get any better.

"Well its true," said Cold Fire as she brought out the giant book from behind her back. 

****

WHACK!

"That is the **true** power of knowledge, Ravin," she said in an cool voice, "It is always best to be a quick learner."

__

Poor Ravin. Well I told him to run, and he really should have seen that coming. That's what happens when he gets to over confidant, Shadow reflected as he helped a stunned Ravin to his feet.

A smug Cold Fire walked back

"Woooo, she was infuriated."

******************************Three Weeks Later***************************

That night Ravin was reviewing the weeks spent with Cold Fire in his mind. His life had undeniably changed since she had arrived. Ravin hated to admit it, but after getting used to traveling with the girl he started to like having her around. She wasn't exactly easy to travel with but it was better than being alone. She was a constant challenge; he sometimes looked forward to dueling with her. Her wit was kin, and her mind sharp. She didn't mind the silence that surrounded him even if it lasted for hours on end. She seemed to understand him. It was like Cold Fire had the ability to stare straight into his soul with those dark brown eyes of hers. Those eyes of hers were unnerving at times, especially when she was mad with you. They often were ablaze with cold fury. Luckily he hadn't gotten her to mad too much. He learned quickly NOT to awake her up if it at all possible to avoid it. She was a powerful ally to have. Yet part of him whispered that it was more than just rational that he let her travel with him. In spite of everything she said, he trusted her. She solved the problem of his loneliness. _Shadow even likes her. _The more Ravin thought about them the more he wondered about Cold Fire's past. Why had Shadow brought her to him? How did Shadow know when she woke? 

Ravin was torn from his thought by the sound of movement. He looked over to where Cold Fire was sleeping. She was tossing and turning again. He seriously doubted the restfulness of her sleep. He had awakened to her movements the past couple of weeks on a nightly bias. He had asked her several times in the mornings (actually it had been the afternoon- but Cold Fire wasn't much of a morning person) what she had dreamt about. It resulted in a baffled expression from the girl. 'I don't really remember' she had said in a pained voice. 'I know that the dreams where vivid at the time and where….' the shaky voice trailed off. It was not often that anything scared Cold Fire speechless. No, it was useless to try to divulge information from the girl, either she did not remember or she didn't trust him. Ravin liked to believe the former. He had tried asking her again and again but that only distressed Cold Fire more. Which resulted in Shadow yelling at him for upsetting Cold Fire. _Must Ravin upset her before she has been awake for an hour? If you keep distressing her, she doesn't wash me good_ an exasperated Shadow had told him. 

Ravin had tried waking her up but that was no good, either. He had startled the girl so much she attacked him. _Or at least that's her story._ Ravin knew well enough she hated being woken up before noon. Ravin was lucky he did not object to traveling at night. Actually it was quite his style to kept unusual hours. Bringing his mind back to the problem of Cold Fire's dream, he thought about asking Shadow if the girl had said anything to him. _No. That's no good either. The last time I tried that all I ended up with was an every cutting comment from Shadow. _Shadow told Ravin in very acid tones {roars?} that if he hadn't notice anything till now then perhaps the last blow to his head not only affected his brain but his eyes (a\n ouch harsh). _I'll figure something out in the morning,_ with that final thought Ravin rolled over and went back to sleep.

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Cold Fire suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. Breathing deeply with wide, frightened eyes, she looked around. She began to feel safe as she laid eyes on Ravin and their campsite. She started to remember where she was and who she was has she searched the campsite with her eyes. _Oh good, I didn't wake Ravin up _as she saw the sleeping Ravin. A smile crossed her lips as she thought about him. _Your not half as bad-ass as you think you are, Ravin._ She forced her mind back to her dreams. She had been having them for a few weeks now, but only recently have they been waking her up. She knew the dreams abysmal, and they must be quite lucid to affect her in such a way. Yet, the strange thing was that she couldn't remember anything about the dreams when she woke up. She knew they had to be very _bizarre _wake her up, because she had been told numerous times by people trying to wake her that she slept the sleep of the dead. What could the dreams be about? The more she thought about it, the more sure she got that the dreams forewarned of something, but what? She searched her soul for an answer that Cold Fire could not answer. She found herself wishing for the millionth time that one of friends had somehow survived. She looked over at Ravin sleeping peacefully on his side. His steady breathing soothed the panic that was building up in her. Yes, something important was going to happen. _Would Ravin understand? Or would he just think I am weak?_

That morning Ravin woke to an even more ragged Cold Fire. She looked like she had crawled out of a pit full of thorns and twigs. Her normally thick, fly away auburn hair looked limper than a wilted weed. Her eyes told Ravin she hadn't had a good, peaceful sleep in weeks. He stood watching her at a distance.

She was talking to Shadow, about what he couldn't tell. She smiled afar off grin at something. Shadow was doing his best to amuse his sleep-deprived friend. The sight of her being so friendly around Shadow picked at him. She seemed to trust and like Shadow more than him. He had tried to be nice to her, yet he got the feeling she still didn't trust him. _She is just a reserved person_ rationalized Ravin. Nevertheless a part of him thought _except she is not reserved around Shadow._

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__

-So all the pieces are set. Are you ready to begin the game?-

****

Have the wagers been taken? 

__

-Yes, and the lessers are watching-

****

Whose move is it first?

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-Yours-

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The bounty hunter's eyes spotted his prey. He did not know why the Employer wanted the ordinary girl alive and didn't care what happened to the notorious Ravin and his organoid. Well his was not to question, but do or die- was exactly the policy Employer kept. Well, Employer paid generously, so he didn't care. Also the Employer had compensated him quite nicely for his trouble of tracking this obscure girl. He was additionally given one of the most technologically advanced zoid for this mission-konigwolf-type zoid. Maybe he could steal the organoid and sell him on the side for a "bonus". Or better yet, keep him with an organoid he would be the best assassin with the rated to prove it.

He had been chasing the prey for days. Watching them and learning their habits like a lions knows the habits of the gazelle. Now was the time to pounce.

He aimed his gun at the boy. His best chance to complete the mission was to kill the boy, grab the girl and organoid, and meet the Employer. He didn't think the girl would be too much trouble to subdue. The organoid would be harder, but without its master it shouldn't be too tough. 

He aimed the gun. Steady…. Steady. He targeted his prey, and focused totally on the boy. He carefully squeezed the trigger on the gun. The girl walked next to the boy, but it was already to late to call back the bullet, even if he could.

"Damn."

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__

I guess I could trust him. She was so tired of being alone. At times she felt as if she were missing a part of herself. Ravin had Shadow and Shadow had Ravin. Who did she have? _I was not always alone_ her soul whispered. Well perhaps Ravin's sardonic comments were better than nothing. She looked over at Ravin to find him staring hard at her. Did she have some breakfast on her face? After checking her face with her pocket mirror (a\n- girls never leave the century w\o them or make-up), she decided to tell Ravin what was wrong. 

She had never been a lucky person. She had walked over behind Ravin right as the Predator had pulled the trigger.

"Ravin?" she asked in uncertain tones. "…."

She felt the pain explode in her left side. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She could feel the hot fluid seep through her shirt and trickle down her side. _I am just so tried._ It would be so easy to die. She wouldn't have to face her past, future, or the ever present. She could leave all her problems for someone else. Someone else could suffer and endure. So easy to lie down and die. 

Ravin watched stunned as she fell on her hands and knees to the sand. The sand under her started to change to a red color. A dark red. The bullet had obviously hit deep and something vital. There was nothing around for days. Besides, who would help Ravin, the destroyer, and if the people found out whom the girl really was?

"RRRRROOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (a\n- my English teacher told me not to trust anyone who used more than three !'s b\c the person was proably deranged. REALLY). Shadow quickly located the vicinity of the hired gun and was about to fuse with the Genosaurer when Ravin halted him.

"No, stay with Cold Fire and protect her. She is in more need of help than I. Besides I can handle some paltry want-a-be," Ravin snarled.

Shadow looked back from his master to his friend. Master was definitely capable of handling the Genosaurer by himself. His friend was on all fours. She looked more like a wild, petrified animal than human. The wound was mortal. She was like a fox surrounded by a lake of its own blood. Shadow doubted she would survive. Suddenly, an uncontainable rage built up in him. He could not stand to see her die and not be able to do anything about it.

"Roooaaarrr."(Make sure you kill the bastard slowly, very slowly.)

Ravin was taken back by the harshness of Shadow's response. He had known the organoid was attached to Cold Fire. But that attached? Not that Ravin had planned to do what Shadow suggested. Cold Fire had been the one person… but . Ravin merged his mind with Shadow's. After all berserk fury was stronger than despair.

Ravin jumped into the Genosaurer ready to meet the asinine ass that had done this.

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It wasn't darkness, yet it wasn't light. It was she; whatever good did that does her. She didn't know what she was. 

__

~You must be human to die~

__

_You must be human to love_ 

__

~Which are you? Human or not?~

_Or are you both?_

****

I do not know.

~We know what you are; yet you do not. We don't profit anyway from this knowledge; however, you would profit a great deal. Your success is determined by this information. Is it not ironic?~

****

Very.

_In order to win the game, you must be human. In order to survive, you must not be human. In order to decide, you must know what you are. To know what you are, you must be named. To be named, you must simply quite to grieve._

~It is not our game to interfere with or we would help.~

****

I know. You are my past. But I live in the present. However there will come a time where my past and future will be binded.

_That comes not till later. So see your future you must live and play the game. Be played by another. Your grief proves you are human, on the other wing, your power proves you not human. The question remains: which are you?_

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Ravin approached the Konigwolf. He had never seen one before, however, he was sure he could handle it. It was different from most zoids. An aurora of decay seemed to surround this one. It was unnatural.

Ravin fired a charged his cannons at the zoid. The bullets hit the target, before the zoid knew it was being fired upon. Ravin stared in dismay as the zoid seemed to absorb the bullets without any damage at all. It was like trying to kill the dead.

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~You are a contradiction. You are the darkness of existence and the light of chaos. Two complete different beings. The Pheniox and Dragon. You are female so therefore Pheniox like us. A powerful fire burns within you. Your fire burns differently, darkly. Your fire has engraved itself with your soul. To extinguish one would be to extinguish the other. You are the fire.~

_And the fire is you._

****

Why are you telling me this?

_We tell you nothing you do not already know._

~To do otherwise would defeat the purpose of the game.~

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And the game is all important.

~Of course.~

_You are the pawn that will put the king in check. Yet, you are a wild pawn, perhaps you will put your own king in check._

****

I do not like being used.

~No one likes to think everything they do has already been planned for, manipulated, predicted, but it is. That our lives and decisions are just moves on the board. We exist merely for the amusement of some other being. Even our lives have been planned by a more powerful troupe. There is nothing either of us can do, so we might as well enjoy our pre-planned lives, our games.~

_There are always risks in games, or they wouldn't be games. You my dear, Phenixgate, are the last of your household. Your house is part of the Triperial Capital: the Pheniox Force, Phoenix Fire, and the Phenix Gate. The strongest of the three rules all- Pheniox Queen. She is decided by a game. You know which house she is from by the spelling of her name. P-H-E-N-I-O-X so therefore Pheniox Force._

~However, light cannot exist without dark. Phenioxes cannot exist without Dragons. The game you are caught in is between Pheniox and Dragon.~

_We wish you well._ 

~We wish you well.~

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She woke up to see a trashed looking Genosaurer battle it out with a wolf-looking zoid. The wolf zoid was a brown-green sort of color. The color made the insides of her stomach turn. It reminded her of decaying bodies. In fact the zoid rank of deterioration. She managed to stand up to get a better look at the zoid. Whoever was piloting it was a blind, senile amateur compared to Ravin. However the wolf could absorb anything without damage, while the Genosaurer couldn't. The pilot was defeating Ravin by outlasting him. Every so often the wolf would score a hit on the Genosaurer. She began to feel faint. _How much blood have I lost?_

"Grrrrr?"

"I will not let anymore people die senseless deaths because of some game."

__

Come Shadow.

Shadow walked up behind her. Grabbed her and took off to the Genosaurer.

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Ravin was fighting an impossible battle. The zoid should have collapsed ages ago. It did not matter what he did to the zoid; it simply keep on fighting. Ravin should have defeated an entire army by now. However, he seriously did not know how much longer the Genosaurer was going to last.

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I am impressed. No one has lasted this long against the Phantasm thought the Predator. He was seriously glad the Phantasm could not be hurt. Ravin was a lot better than he estimated. He had better hurry and finish the hunt if he was going to collect the prey alive. He would have Hell to pay if the girl was dead.

Suddenly a golden black light flashed into the Genosaurer. The zoid became alive with the golden black color. It seemed different.

__

So he thinks his organoid will make a difference.

The Genosaurer prepared for what looked to be a charged particle blast.

__

That is not going to work.

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~Light cannot exist without dark. Chaos cannot exist without order. If one does not exist the other stops~

_The question remains: which are you?_

~We wish you well.~

_We wish you well._

_You must simply quite to grieve._

****

Fine I will play your game. But don't think I will be easy to control.

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A golden-black light shot out of the Genosaurer towards the Phantasm. It did not even try to move. Then it and its pilot simply ceased to exist.

An angry Ravin jumped out of the cockpit of the Genosaurer. "SHADOW."

An obedient Shadow sprang from the zoid core.

"I thought I told you not to leave Cold Fire!"

"Grrrrrrr." (I didn't.) Shadow dropped the girl in front of Ravin. She was no longer bleeding.

"Cold Fire?" he asked searchingly, fearing the worst.

"Don't call me that," hissed the girl in a barely audible voice.

"What?" Ravin was just relieved she was alive.

"I said don't call me Cold Fire," she whispered louder. "You may think she is a thing of power but you are wrong. She is weak. A frail half-crazed old man is stronger than her. At least he does not let his grief consume him. He has the courage to live. 

"They said I simply must quite to grieve in order to proceed. Well I am done grieving," she stated with a new resolve.

"Then what should I call you?" Ravin seriously was beginning to wonder about the sanity of his friend. Maybe he should find some help. Perhaps being in the zoid core had hurt her mentally.

"No need to worry, I am mentally stable," she said with the first true smile. "But you should call me by my name since it is mine."

Ravin could see she was still obstinate. She was going to make him drag the information out of her. "Fine," he barked, "what pray-tell is your name." 

She smiled again. Nothing like pissing off Ravin "My name is Andrea."

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A\n: Phew! This was a loooonngg chapter. I didn't take time to reread it so it is probably filled with mistakes. Newayz plz R&R. Tell me what you think, suggestion and corrections. I CANNOT BELIEVE ZOIDS C.C. KILLED OFF RAVIN! HE WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN VAN! =Sigh= I will just have to work around that. Thanks for the review and corrections TurnDragoZeroV2G. However, I have seen it spelled both ways. Yours is most likely the correct way, but I like being difficult^.^ same goes for the spelling of Ravin (Raven). Don't be reserved to tell me your ideas. Just b\c you tell me, doesn't mean I will listen to it. Probably will when I get writer's block. See ya.

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	4. Operation C.G.

Disclaimer: I don't own Zoids or any of the original characters-Sigh. Well anyway long live the freedoms of FAN FICS. Give me liberty or OOOoooo a chicken strip.

Author's Note: I am finally getting around to writing again. I had to play catch up in some of my classes. Like, you guessed it Chemistry- or purgatory- same difference. I did get exempted from all of my semester testes- collective sigh of relief-. So no more school for a while. Still got to go play at graduation. Yes, I am a band nerd. Thinking about just driving around for the hour and half or going to the local Wal*Mart, just whatever. Instructor will never notice I am not there as long as certain people keep their mouths shut.

I am sooooooo glad they did not kill off Ravin *eyes glaze over w\thoughts of the handsome cartoon guy* I so wish I was a cartoon. However that Ryss girl with the blue organoid is getting to close to RAVIN! What a hussy. What? Stalling? Who me? Never.

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THE FIREFOX LETHARGICALLY PRESENTS: THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter 4- Operation C.G.

"My name is Andrea" **he heard her say.**

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~So you got her to care again. No matter. I have waited for over a millenniums; I can wait a few months longer. Though Chronos, the time weaver, is on your side, you cannot stop time.~

****

No matter. She will be binded. She was once before and shall be again. I doubt your spell is still as strong as it was.

__

~You underestimate. However it is your turn.~

***********************************************************************

She stretched out on the ground. Camping out was just not her style. The term "roughing it," meant staying at a hotel and not ordering room service. This was torture. She had never really thought what the future would be like when she was younger; however, she had thought it would be more comfortable than this. 

"Where is Ravin," the girl asked the organoid lying beside her, "Shadow."

"RRrroooaaar." (Over by the Genosaurer doing miantance work on it.)

"Why aren't you helping him?"

"Roaaarrr." (Don't wana.)

"Oh."

The girl jumped up and walked over to the Genosaurer. She had a plan. Shadow had helped her out with the details. He also agreed to help her with the plan, which was a big plus. The organoid was cunning and could predict Ravin better than she could. With his help, the plan would be successful. 

"Time to launch Operation C.G."

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"Raaaavviiiinnn," she chimed. "How far are we from the closest town, or preferably city (a\n- did you know that to be classified as a "city" it must have a professional sports team, diversity of cultures, etc. So technically Arkansas has no citiesL - what? You don't care. Well. On with the story.)

"A couple of days. Why?" he asked looking up from his work on the Genosaurer. He wiped the sweat and dirt from his sun baked face. The Genosaurer took a lot more miantance work then one expected.

"Weeeelllll," she strung out the word. "I was thinking we could actually stop at the city and stay in a hotel. I haven't had a good bath since I meet you. I am tired of washing in a streams, ponds, et cetera." She made little circles in the air to illustrate her point. Actually there was no reason- she just liked doing it.

"And my shampoo is about to run out. I have already used all of my conditioner. Look at this," she grabbed a handful of her long, auburn hair, "look how limp it is. I need conditioner. I am also running out of make-up. I want more make-up and conditioner NOW."

She could see the answer on his face. "Not to mention that YOU could also use the ummm facilities that a hotel has to offer." Her face reddened as she thought about what she had said. 

"I mean," she went on quickly before Ravin could give her that you-really-ought- to -think-before-you-talk look, "if you don't take a good, really good bath soon, we will never get the smell out of the Genosaurer."

"GGrrrr, Grrr," Shadow snickered.

Ravin turned his attention to the organoid. Ravin gave Shadow a look at could kill. 

"Grrr?" (What?) He said (growled) safely hidden behind the girl.

She laughed at Shadow. The sight of an angry Ravin and scared Shadow hiding behind her was funny. She stifled the laugh that arose within her. It was no good getting Ravin mad at her while she wanted something. 

"Shh, Shadow you aren't helping my case any."

"You certainly don't need any help," was all that Ravin said. He couldn't believe the audacity of the girl. She wanted him to risk his safety and well being just for a night in the city, and she was insulting him while asking.

"Besides, why do you put on all that make-up when you know that no one save me, Shadow, and the Genosaurer are going to see you?"

"It keeps my face from drying out." Andrea was thrown off guard with that one.

"I guess I certainly would hate to see you without your make-up on then. Come to think of it. All that time asleep must have decreased the quality of your make-up, but you are right in needing new, better make-up."

Andrea gave him the you-are-so-immature look, "That's besides the point on hand," in an annoyed tone.

"Just what do you propose we do with Shadow and the Genosaurer while we are in the city," smiled Ravin at his minor victory, "Any idiot would be able to identify Shadow or the Genosaurer: and I hardly doubt that we would be counted as privileged guests. "

"Yes, any idiot would be able to identify Shadow," she said out loud. "It would be his color, wouldn't it?" She said with a leading voice and innocent face.

"Of course it would, Andrea!" Ravin said aggregately. "Now if that's all." 

"I suppose. Oh, I saw a deep lake some ways back and Shadow and I are going swimming."

"FINE! JUST GO!"

"Touché"

Ravin stared after the girl. She of all people should know that he couldn't be seen in public. No matter how much he would of liked to show her "his" world. He chuckled at one of Andrea's quirks. She talked as if Zi belonged to him and as if she where an alien. However, he had spent enough time with her to know that a scheming Andrea was hundred-fold worse than Cold Fire. Paired with Shadow, he didn't know if he could protect himself from the two. Ravin turned back to his work and on guard for anything suspicious.

*****************************Later That Night****************************

Andrea turned to make sure Ravin was sound asleep. Unlike her, he was a light sleepier. He always knew when she had a rough night. She smiled at his sleeping form. If she thought love was real, she would have known that she was beginning to fall in love with him. Since she thought it was fake like all other fairy tales and happy endings, she did not. After thoroughly assuring herself that he was sleeping, she woke up her pillow.

"Grrr" (Go away)

"Shhh," she hissed. "You will wake up Ravin."

"GrrrrrR" (Well by all means. Master can't be woken up, he who calls you stupid and a pest. But your constant companion, friend, and pillow can.)

"Shut up, Shadow," she whispered. Grabbing the bulls by the horns, or rather Shadow by the horns, she pulled his face down to hers. "We are going to get to that hotel and nothing is going to stop me. Especially my favorite organoid."

"grrr." (You should have told me while we were swimming about our late night meeting.)

"Sorry," she whispered. "Wait. What do you mean stupid and a pest?"

Both Shadow and Andrea froze. Ravin was turning in his sleep. Apparently he didn't always have good nights either.

"grrrr." (Perhaps we had better continue this someplace else.)

"My exact thoughts my dark beauty."

Shadow let Andrea mount him, so he could take her somewhere farther from camp where they arose unwanted problems.

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Ravin was in a chasm of darkness. He could not even see two inches in the unlivable darkness. Nothing could survive in this darkness. It was a complete darkness of the soul. It did not intimidate him if that was the purpose of the darkness; in fact, it did quit the opposite. It made him fill whole, secure, and consequential. He usually only got this feeling from Shadow or at atypical, rare moments when Andrea was in a nice mood. Soon he found that he could project his "awareness" out into the black void. He sensed a thing coming near him. It lumbered towards him at a pace that was purposeful, yet without hurry. It was a pace of one who played with time as a child plays with toys, careless. Whatever it was wasn't afraid of Ravin. The creature abruptly stood in front of Ravin. He had thought it was some type of zoid, but now the ripples of darkness told it was no zoid that confronted Ravin.

What are you?

"I am the," Ravin knew his answer lacked flare, was dull, "darkness."

****

The darkness and the light, order of existence and chaos of recklessness, stability of time and revolution of spontaneity: to kill one would be to extinguish the other for they burn jointly. Yet they hate the other. Why is that?

Ravin could not answer the question, so he asked his own, "Who are you?"

The creature seemed to smile, if that is what you would call it. **You cannot answer my question, but I can answer yours. I appear to you as a creature that has long ago ceased to exist in this form, a grizzly bear, but is in another form.**

"The zoid-Bearfighter."

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Yes, but I digress. The dark and light have always fought, fight, and will fight. It is an endless battle, and both parties know this. They forget; they just fight, hate. Their hatred is their lifefire. Without their hatred, what will they be? All they have left is this odium of the other. They forget why they struggle against the other; they forget.

Some say in the last clash of the light and dark a new power was created- a combination of the two.

A small figurine emerged out of the darkness. It burned of darkness and smoldered of light. It was both, yet neither.

****

I know differently. It has existed as long as the light and dark. It just has passed the time unnoticed till recently. While the light and dark fight, it lived, learned to love. It ceased to be and learned to breathe. It became part human, the best part of it.

Ravin noticed the bear's voice (psychic presence?) softened at the talk of this "in-between" thing. 

****

She is better than both the light and darkness the bear spat

She is dieing, and all she has to do is forsake you to live. Hell knows her passing fancy is worth more than both of you combined. Yet she loves you, the both of you. Yet she remains with you. She lets the darkness and light think you protect her, yet in truth, she protects the both of yall from your all-consuming loathing. Even when she is gone and you hate the rhythm of her name or any mention of her being, she will protect you from loneliness and hatred. All she has to do to live is desert your worthless world and she would live; yet she doesn't. Hell knows you aren't significant enough for her regard. All you have to do is name her. As you named yourself of the darkness, so must she be sorted.

************************************************************************

"Shadow, how do you feel about a paint job?"

"Rrrrgggg." (I don't trust you when you are all sweet and nice.)

"How so?"

"Roaarr." (It's not you.)

"Well, I am not sure what that's supposed to mean," Andrea said with mock indignity. She knew perfectly well how evil she was and enjoyed it. Even her friends where mean- not as mean as she was- but all the same, she reveled in her unscrupulousness nature. "Anyways, Ravin said we could stop in the city if you were properly camouflaged."

"Rooaaarrr." (He is not going to give in that easily.)

"It's a step."

"RRRRrGGGg." (Okay)

"Of course you would have to be my organoid while we stay in the city, and travel around town with me," she said in hopes of bribing Shadow. She knew Shadow remembered how much she enjoyed spending money on herself and friends, as long as it wasn't her money.

"Rooaaaarrrr." (Ravin is not going to like this, so lets break out the paint.)

"How do you feel about purple with green stripes," she said cheerfully.

"Rrrrrgggg." (Ravin is really not going to like this^_^. So what about with pink stripes? Green would clash.)

"Can do. I know. Isn't it great?" 

Andrea stepped back and looked at her handy work. Shadow was barely recognizable in his new look. Ravin couldn't say people would be able to identify Shadow. The only thing that remained the same was the body style, which could not be changed. But surely most people did not know anything about an organoid, so what would it matter. Even if Ravin didn't want to stop at the city he would have to. Shadow had jettisoned most of the soap supply at their last stop. 

"Unless, Ravin wants a pink and purple zebra looking organoid he will have to stop."

"RRRrrggg." (Got a mirror?)

Andrea pulled out her pocket mirror to let Shadow get a look at his paint job.

"Rrrggg." (Stripes make me look fat.)

"Pleasure doing business with you Shadow," chuckling at Shadow's comment. "However, I don't think 'Shadow' as a name will cut it."

"Rrrroooaaaarrrr." (You are right. Got any suggestions?)

"No but it will come to me at the perfect moment."

************************************************************************

Ravin woke up and noticed that Andrea was gone. Instantly he remembered his dream. A pained panic was rising up in his chest (a\n-and what a fine chest it is) at the remembrance. Had she just left? He noticed then that Shadow was missing to. Relief flooded over him. She and Shadow had probably gone off somewhere. That was another thing he had to talk to Shadow about. He and the girl seemed to vanish whenever he had any hard work to do. The girl was one thing, but Shadow? Shadow was supposed to be "his". He then spotted Andrea and the organoid returning to camp. Since they where in front of the sun, they only appeared as black forms. _Something's not right_ thought Ravin. _Since when as Andrea gotten up before noon?_ Snatching the binoculars from his pocket, he got a closer look at the pair. 

He saw her walking and talking to some freaky painted organoid. They appeared to be having a good time. _Well this might solve my problem with Shadow_ Ravin thought smugly to his self. Taking another look at the pair a thought shadowed Ravin's mind. _No, it cannot be. They wouldn't._ Ravin focused the binoculars on the organoid. It was. They did. His Shadow who had used to strike fear in heroes and children alike was now a purple and pink toy. _Shadow is definitely not mine anymore._

"What did you do to MY organoid?" he pounced on Andrea before she had finished walking into camp.

"I camouflaged him." 

Ravin stared at the girl dumbfounded. She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. He could tell that in her twisted mind she thought it was logical. 

"Why, pray tell, did you find it necessary to veil Shadow's true identity?" he said in low, dangerous tones. Like he didn't know where this was going.

"So when we go to the city, people won't recognize him," she said in a merry voice, not in the least daunted by Ravin.

"People will still recognize me with an organoid."

"Well," she had not planned on getting this far before Ravin killed her, "Shadow was going to be my organoid. But you are right," she was squinting her eyes at Ravin, "people will definitely be able to distinguish you, especially with that thick head of raven black hair." She smiled at her play on words.

"I am not sure what a raven is, but yes my hair would identify me. Now I am going to wash MY organoid."

"Nhaha," laughing nervously, "you might have a problem with that course of action."

"Why?" Ravin looked quite mad now.

"We are out of soap," she said with a smile knowing she had bested him for now. "You could only cleanse his upper torso. That would make him look like he had strange pants."

Ravin just walked away. Yes, he had lost Shadow to this girl.

Watching his master walk slowly away, he turned his head to Andrea.

"That went better than planned."

"Rrrrgggg." (Now what?)

"It _is_ his hair which gives him away."

"Rooarrr." (Your NOT thinking what I think you're thinking.)

"Do you know where Ravin put the bottle of peroxide?"

"Rooaarrr." (You are a complete idiot. Ravin is not going to like this.)

"Silly Shadow, I am not a complete idiot."

"Rgggg." (How so?)

"Some parts are missing," she started to laugh at her own joke.

"Rggg." (-_-')

************************************************************************

"ANDREA WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" a livid (a\n- or should I say blonde) Ravin yelled. He had finally got a good look at his reflection for the first time this week. He had also figured out why Andrea and Shadow, or Mauve as Andrea had taken to calling him, had not taken a single word of his seriously for the past couple of days. _Just wait till I get my hands on that girl._

A solemn parade marched back to camp. Andrea had been able to hear Ravin's rantings a mile off. People five miles off could probably hear Ravin too. She had not meant to make Ravin so mad, but she just _had_ to get into the city. However, she wasn't sure she wanted to lose Ravin over it, though. It wasn't _that _important.

"What's done is done," she said to Shadow while looking at the ground. She felt somewhat remorseful for her behavior towards Ravin. She had been meaner to him lately than usual. Considering the paint job she did on Shadow and now this.

"Rggg." (I told you Ravin wasn't going to like this.)

"Well when it came to pouring the peroxide into Ravin's shampoo," snapped Andrea, "I didn't exactly hear any protests coming from you."

"I am sorry I snapped at you, Shadow," apologized Andrea. She put her hands behind her head and looked up into the sky. "Well, Shadow, my darkest dearest, someday we will look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject." 

She tried to keep her sense of humor with her. Her sense of humor was often her best ally is tough situations. It keeps her amused with life. And to be amused was life's purpose. Was it not?

"Rgggg." (Your mind not only wonders, but it leaves completely.)

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste, so I save mine for special occasions," she smiled at their jokes. Well, it was better than facing Ravin. She soon found herself acting out the inevitable confrontation out in her mind. Mentally preparing herself for their fight, and coming up with good comebacks so she wouldn't be the only one having her intelligence insulted.

She suddenly came to a stop at the foot of the camp. Her stop was so abrupt that Shadow nearly mowed her down. She turned around to meet Shadow's eyes on the impulse. She just couldn't have him think that her wanting to go to the city was purely effervescence. She knew it was selfish, but it wasn't just for shopping's sake that she wanted to go to the city.

"I wanted to go to a city to see," she could barely hold back the tears and voice was choking, "normal people. I wanted to know that they existed. I have only seen you and Ravin. I know it is selfish, but I wanted to see different people." She started crying. She couldn't hold back the tears any longer; it was just too hard. And she was just so tired.

"I wanted to see what it is like to be human. I wanted to see happiness, heedlessness, and everything. I wanted to know if it was all worth it. But most of all, I suppose, I wanted to forget. I wanted to forget my past. In the city, everything would be too new and wondrous, and I would be too busy to remember my past, to busy to think about my life. I just wanted to see if it was worth everything."

Shadow lowered his great head next to hers. Gently he rubbed the side of her head with his. He didn't know how to make her fell better, so he just let her cry. 

Ravin stood off in the distance watching the scene unfold. _Damn girl _he thought _when I finally have her in a corner, she goes and spills her heart to Shadow when I'm listening._ It just wasn't fair. He finally had a right to be mad at her, to yell at her. He had planned out a lecture and was going to berate her till the zoids came home. And there she was crying with Shadow sitting next to her trying to comfort her. It just wasn't fair. She was not supposed to win. A red-headed girl who didn't even have a zoid and would probably be dead by now if it wasn't for him was NOT suppose to beat him, Ravin, one of the most feared personality in Zi's history. It was not to turn out like this. It just wasn't.

"A hem."

At the sound of Ravin's voice Andrea jumped up. She lifted her head in a haughty pose, straightened her shoulders, and stiffened her body. _She was like a child preparing to take punishment for some crime _thought Ravin _and she is not in the least sorry for her actions._

"I hate you, Andrea," Ravin said in cold, callous tones.

At the sound of Ravin's voice, Andrea felt her heart break. She knew that Ravin liked his hair, but she didn't think it would come to this. She just didn't know what she would do without Ravin. This wasn't her world. She didn't know where any was, what was safe, and whom she could trust. Until this moment, she did not comprehend how dependent she was on Ravin and Shadow's hospitality. She felt her soul die within. The city wasn't that important. She did value Ravin and Shadow above all else. She just couldn't lose them both. She shrank behind Shadow. He was the only one of the past and present who tied her to the "now". He understood.

"But Ravin…" He cut her off before she could even get out her case.

"I swear you must be the daughter of Satan," Ravin said. He smiled inwardly at her furrowed brows, not being able to comprehend where he was going with that remark. He had lost the war, but he was going to be damned if he didn't win at least one battle. "Every time I am right or make the logical chose, you go and make me feel guilty for my RIGHT decision. I can't even yell at you."

Sensing she was on safe ground again, Andrea smiled evilly. "Yes, I am the spawn of pure evil," she said in dark tones, "but my duties are largely ceremonial." She finished the last part of the statement in happy-go-lucky nature.

"Largely." Ravin spat sarcastically.

"Does this mean what I think…?"

"Yes, we are going to the friggin' city," Ravin all but yelled. "Shadow, or Mauve, is yours for the time being, we are going to stay at a fancy hotel with a gigantic swimming pool for the both of you, and you are going to go shopping and have a good time." Ravin snarled.

Andrea, caught up in the moment of victory, hugged Ravin around the neck. 

"Thank you so much Ravin," she sobbed, "you will never know how much this means to me."

"Whatever," groused Ravin. Grumpily, he disentangled himself from Andrea's body. He then and there decided that Shadow or the girl could never be trusted again. Also, he was right in thinking that Cold Fire was preferable over a scheming Andrea. He stormed off to the Genosaurer, who apparently, was the only one not to betray him. The only one that could be trusted not to con him. _Well Shadow may not be mine any more_ thought Ravin _but the Genosaurer still is._

"Rooarrr." (Do you think we should tell him who gave us the paint?) Shadow grinned (a\n-which is amazing since he is made out of metal) mischievously (roared) while watching a disgruntled Ravin traipse off to the Genosaurer (which is, as you recall, black and…)

"Whoa, Shadow, you are the master of calculating people. I did not even see him till after I gave my little, shall we say, donation. I think performance is such an ugly word."

"Roarrr." (Of course I am, nothing less than extraordinary on my part. I must admit, you are the Queen of "Donation". I think the tears are what pushed him over the edge, nevertheless.)

"Yes, I think the tears helped. How did you know?"

"RRrrrrgggghHH." (For all his talk he really does like you. Besides I have never met a guy who could stand to see a girl cry.)

"You are the greatest. I guess that means you win and get to pick out the first store we visit, my dear Mauve."

"Rooaaarrr." (About the name.)

"Okay, how about that purple TelATuby from my time. What was his name again, Tinke-Winke?"

"Rggghhhh." (As you command, my dear mistress.) Shadow smiled (amazing) at their silly game. They were both inebriated with the campaign of victory.

Andrea smiled too. It was going to be great getting Shadow, Mauve, all to herself and watching a jealous Ravin. Yeaaa!

"Rooaaarrrrr." (Do you think Ravin will ever figure out he has been played)

"Naah"

"Rrrggghh." (Naah.)

"We were to good to be figured out. Teach him to call me brainless."

"Rggghhh." (Its not like you are bordering on Van. He could never pull something like this off. You are the best.)

"As you are, my striped organoid."

"This will learn him," she said with a grin. Perhaps life wasn't so bad after all.

***********************************************************************

Author's note: My my my, aren't I the wordy thing. I was going to include more in this chapter but it got too long. Sorry I had to make Andrea so ruthless to get what she wanted. But she was out of conditioner. The inhumanity of it all, no conditioner. Tell me, what kind of girl wouldn't do the same thing put in Andrea's position, or guy for that matter. I was surprised how fast I got this done once I actually set down and worked. I would have got this out sooner, but you know, the classic story of working two hours or so and not saving. Then the computer decided to crash. Go figure. Luckily I remember the idea of what I was typing. Well I am officially a senior. One last year at the god-forsaken school they call HS home of the lions. Now I can work late into the night and early morning without having to catch my Z's in the uncomfortable school desks. They really ought to look into making them more comfortable.

I hope to get the next chapter out w\in a week or so, but don't hold your breath. I get distracted, easily. Unless you don't like my story. Then go on hold your breath, die. Bwhahahahaha

Newayz thanks to Kala, xTZealot, Hell Fire, and everyone else who reviewed. Plz send comments, ideas, or random thoughts. They will be appreciated. REMEMBER the review button is your friend. See ya.


	5. Mist of Memories- Part One

Author's Note: Ello all. The first time I wrote this, my A.N.'s was virtually nonexistent. However just as I was ready to save when my computer decided that my work wasn't good enough. Yep, it crashed again. I don't understand it. The computer isn't even a year old. It's systems and hard drive are better than the ones advertised on TV. Microsoft Works, yeah right. Can we all say oxymoron? 

Well, it has come to my attention that certain person who shall remain nameless (since none of you people will know her) seems to think that I am "as frigid as the iceberg that sank the Titantic". *For that comment of being frigid I showed Factoid the true meaning of the phrase 'Math is Power'- with my hard-back, 700 page Algebra II book^_~. I can stand being called deranged, estranged, or just strange, but don't ANYONE call me FRIGID. Got that? K' on with my work.

Disclaimer: "Remember when American moms used to tell their kids to finish dinner because children in Africa were starving? - Well, thanks a lot Mom- African kids are still starving and American kids are obese."

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****

NOW

THE FIREFOX DOGGEDLY PRESENT: THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter Five: Mists of Memories- Part One

"This will learn him," had been the last words she had said when she thought she had won. It was too good to be true. She had finally beaten Ravin at his own game. Yes life was good. Unfortunately for Andrea, it was too good to be true. The Genosaurer's fan belt had broken twenty miles from the city. And Shadow could, or would, not fly the both of them to Neblina, so they must walk.

"Well I guess the journey of a thousand miles starts with a broken fan belt, Shadow," Andrea said to the organoid walking next to her. "Who would have thought that after all these years, some guy wouldn't have invented a break proof fan belt?"

"Ravin," the girl said on inspiration.

"Huh?" came the gruff reply.

"What am I to call you when we get to the city? I mean I can hardly call you Ravin can I?" she said with a smile. "How about Raymond. It sounds kinda like Ravin yet isn't. It would allow me to catch myself if I slipped up. Or what about Crow, or…Clowny Appleseed," she said with an insidious smirk.

"Raymond."

__

Well, someone isn't in a very talkative mood, thought Andrea. _And they say teen-age girls have bad mood swings. Hmmp._ Andrea unconsciously stroked the giant head that pushed against her left hand.

"Rrrgghh." (You said it.)

If nothing else, at least this long walk took care of the Genosaurer. They had to leave it out in the desert. Well they could always go back and retrieve it. Ravin had made sure that it was properly camouflaged before they abandoned it. Andrea smiled at how picky Ravin had been about it. _You would think that the middle of the desert is a popular tourist _attract, thought Andrea. _Well at least I know he is part human._ That thought made Andrea frown. 

Ravin looked back at the pair. They had been unusually quiet for the last hour, granted that the walk was tiring. But it was just not like Andrea to be so quiet. She had been a regular chatterbox the last couple of days and it had grated on Ravin's nerves, mainly because she insisted on talking to Shadow, not him. But now the silence made Ravin feel uncomfortable. It would be just like those two to be planning something right behind Ravin's back (literally). Ravin was surprised to see Andrea frowning at something with a restless Shadow by her side. Accepted that Andrea never really smiled that often, unless Shadow had said (roared) something amusing to her, Ravin had never seen her so melancholy before. She had a far off look to her, as if she were staring at something beyond the city, time, and Zi.

"rrrrggh." (When she gets like this even I can't get into her mind.) The organoid said to his master. Shadow enjoyed a telepathic link with his master and at times Andrea. Shadow could pry into the darkest parts of Ravin's mind without Ravin realizing a thing. However, lately he could not do so with the girl, and it worried him.

"Rroooaarrr." (Ask her what's wrong. You might be surprised; she just might tell you.) With that Shadow butted Ravin with his head, sending him on a crash course to Andrea.

__

What do I care about the stupid girl, thought Ravin. Yet at seeing her face, Ravin did feel a twinge of concern towards the girl. Her face was solemn, and emotionless and her eyes glazed over. It was like she was watching a dream; she was there yet apart from everything.

"Andrea?" he asked uncertainly. She raised her eyes to his. Yet, they were blank, dead. They lacked the luster that shown through when she was making fun of him; they lacked life.

"I have just noticed that January is almost over. My birthday almost pasted without my noticing it," she said in a far off voice.

"If this about your birthday, I'll…" Ravin stopped at seeing her burrows furrow.

"It's not about my birthday, really. It's so strange. A part of me, like most people, looked forward to it, while the other half," she stated in the same dreamy trance, "dreads it. I just don't know how to explain it." She looked at him with sad eyes. 

***********************************************************************

They had finally reached the city, and what a sight they were. Andrea was now a tan color, but not from the sun. Her once auburn hair was now a dull brown color. Her clothes had the same effect. Ravin wasn't in any better shape.

After five hours in Neblina, they finally found two hotels that met Andrea's criteria. It wasn't that hard to find hotels in Neblina, but Andrea was a hard customer to please. First of all the hotel had to have a pool, cable television, spa, bar, stores, entertainment, resturant, great location, and competent employees (a\n- killer). The first hotel Andrea approved- they got kicked out. The attendant had made an, shall we say, unwise remark to Ravin about the hotel's slogan and Andrea- "do it indoors" (a\n- my friend has a Holiday Inn shirt that says that. Isn't it great? I am not lying.) Five co-workers and Andrea had to be present to drag an outraged Raven off the attendant. So it was back to the drawing board.

************************************************************************

"I get the shower first," shouted Andrea as she ran into the room. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. But at this point a Motel One would look good to her. The room had its own bar, fridge stocked with goodies, such as imported meat from earth (a\n- ummmmmm chicken), fruit and a variety of drinks, a huge television with surround sound, terrace overlooking the whole city, and a gigantic bathroom (;.;- I would kill for one). But the thing that caught Andrea's attention was the king sized bed(;.;). The bedspread was white with the emblem of the hotel on it.

"It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," Andrea choked to the empty room. _God you can take me now_. _No wait I haven't had a chance to try the bed or bathroom out._ Andrea thought in blissful stupor. It was such a wondrous sight. Nothing could compare to this. Nothing. Her eyes were beginning to water just from looking at the bed; she then decided to wander over to the huge bathroom to see what it had in store for her. 

"Oh my gosh, I have died and gone to Heaven," Andrea gasped at the monstrous bathroom. It had a Jacuzzi bath tube. _I bet you could fit all of Idaho's population into that tube._ Then and there, Andrea realized the true meaning of "love at first sight". _Money can't buy you happiness? Well it sure makes misery easier to live with._

"I have seen Heaven," Andrea restated wonderingly at the majesty of the hotel room.

"Andrea, where the crap did you go?" yelled an annoyed Ravin. "Come help me, the bellhop, and Mauve (aka-Shadow) with all YOUR luggage. I swear show me a girl that can pack light and I'll show you a five ton suitcase."

"Well, maybe not Heaven," Andrea said under her breath as she opened the door for Ravin and co. Ravin threw all the luggage on the floor, unceremonial. Andrea narrowed her eyes at the boy.

"Be careful, all that stuff is new," shrieked Andrea, "besides I would think you would treat the merchandise **you** purchased better." Andrea then proceeded to give the bellhop a generous tip. After tipping him, she strode over to Ravin who was lying exhausted on the sofa trying to catch his breath. Giving him a brash smile, she flopped a small leather parcel on his lap.

"Where did you get this?" demanded Ravin instantly grabbing his wallet. He had remembered it much, much thicker.

"From a little birdie, a raven if you want to get technical, but who wants to get technical?"

Ravin only sighed. It seemed that his instinct had warned him right; it was a good thing he had kept the bulk amount of money somewhere besides his wallet. _Shadow must have lifted it off me while I was talking to Andrea today. I should have wondered where she got all that money. No sale can be that good_ Ravin thought as he stared into his devoid wallet. He glanced up to see Andrea drifting around the room with her eyes glazed over, again. After breaking out of her trance, she ran over to where Ravin was sitting. She jumped next to him and nestled her head on his shoulder while giving him a hug.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank yoouuuuuu Ravin soo much. I am so glad that you thought it best to come here and let me spend all the money I want."

"What?!" Ravin yelled when hearing the money part.

"Oh yha, the bed is mine."

"Where am I going to sleep?"

"Don't know, don't care. You could sleep on the ground where dogs belong," Andrea stated in a helpful voice. She started to back up, away from Ravin. So she would have a head start when Shadow answered his question.

"Your comebacks would have better effect, if I knew what a dog was."

"A dog?" Andrea started to laugh nervously, "It is a fury creature of past; it varied in size, color, intelligence, and looks: one of my favorite creatures. Why do you ask," more nervous laughing.

"Roooaaarrr." (It was also used to insult someone on his or her intelligence and looks.) Mauve\Shadow said (roared) in evil tones. Some of Andrea was rubbing off on him.

"Shadow you traitor. See if I let you go shopping with me!" Andrea screamed as she made a mad dash for the door. 

However, unfortunately for Andrea, the bed sprang out of nowhere causing her to trip and fall on the bed. Ravin took this moment, being the merciless person that he is, to pin her to the bed. However the fight\wrestling match was by no ways over. Andrea used her secret wiggling defense to get out of Ravin's pin. However, Ravin is an experienced warrior. He started to tickle the girl, which as he was informed by Mauve was a weakness of the girl's. Andrea knowing that Mauve couldn't be trusted and Ravin was heartless concerning battles was prepared. She twisted her entire body in one smooth, graceful turn breaking away from Ravin. Ravin countered attacked by quickly rolling over to close the distant that separated them.

**__**

The match ended with the sheets of the bed in disarray and a breathless Andrea pinned under an exhausted Ravin. Andrea's cheeks were flushed from the "heated" exercise (a\n- get your minds out of the gutter, I get claustrophobic with so many people around me^_^'.) Andrea stared into Ravin's hooded eyes. She never knew that she good lose herself in someone's gaze, that loneliness, time, hurt, and shadow could all melt away like an ice cube on hot summer pavement. She felt her heart beat faster as she lost herself in his dark eyes. Eyes the color of darkness. She wondered what in his life could cause him to hate zoids so much. She felt a sorrow arouse within her, a kind that she had never felt before, at the thought of the coming spring. She felt her lips curve into a smile as she realized that Ravin was still on top of her, apparently she wasn't the only lost in the moment.

Before Ravin could realize what was happening, he was staring down at Andrea. Her hair was spread out all around her. Some lose strands were floating above her head from the static charge they received from the fight in the sheets. A tendril of hair landed across her face, breaking the halo of hair. Ravin unconsciously pushed the hair away, without breaking the eye lock he had on her. Her face was glowing with excitement, and her eyes sparked with mischief. Ravin wondered what thoughts could be swirling around behind those remarkable dark eyes. A color that couldn't be named, a color, which only existed in the moment, yet held a timeless quality of worlds and universes. Those fearless eyes had looked the most renowned assassin in the eyes without trepidation when telling him why she had dyed his hair and painted his organoid. Ravin knew that those eyes would never lackluster from dullness. Her eyes where always a storm with thinking, scheming, and planning, which was one of the reasons she attracted Ravin. A slow smile flashed across her face. It was one of the few smiles he had seen on her that was not forced and was totally for him, not Shadow. She looked so devilish with the red halo around her smiling face that Ravin could not help but smile. He could feel the laughter rumble in her, he was so close to her. He could smell the subtle smell of the Vanilla Lace lotion that she wore rise up and encompass him like storm clouds. He realized that he could never let anything dire to happen to the girl. That without her, he would resort back to the dark existence of hatred.

She wished this moment could last forever. Ravin was so warm. She could feel herself lean into Ravin. _NO, this cannot be happening again. I won't let it! I can't stand to see anyone else hurt_ her mind screamed as she realized what was happening. She couldn't make herself vulnerable for any reason. She just **couldn't**let it happen again. She pulled her head back just in time.

"Get off my bed, Ravin."

"What?" said a voice not fully comprehending what had just happened. Everything had been perfect. Apparently Andrea didn't feel the same way.

"I said get off my bed, you are getting it all dirty."

Ravin reluctantly got up and scowled at Andrea. Ravin thought she had played him; she had shown him that she could get him to do whatever she wanted. Ravin cursed his stupidity. She had felt nothing: she just wanted to lord herself over him. Show him that she was the superior of the two. She just used him to get what she wanted. Now that he was so obviously attainable, she didn't want him.

Shadow looked from his master to Andrea, sadly as one of Andrea's flaws reared its ugly head. She had never wanted to show any weakness, or wanted to be exposed to hurt. These flaws had made it hard for her to make friends; she never wanted to open up enough. She didn't even truly trust her closest friends with all her secrets. Her reservations often created a barrier between her and people wanting to get closer to her. She just didn't understand. Probably in her mind, she was doing the best thing for Ravin. She was trying to keep him away from the game of the **TWO.** However, judging from the look on Ravin's face, she had played directly in to PHIONA's feathers. 

"Rgggghhh." (She is just afraid.) Shadow growled to his master, trying to calm him down.

"Her afraid. Of what?" he barked.

"Rooaaarrr-ggghrrrrrg-arrrrggghhhh." (Of falling in love. The last time she did her world blew up in her face. In her mind if she falls in love again, something bad will happen. She thinks love is highly over acclaimed and doesn't believe in it. She has lots of hang up like that. Just try to understand, this world is new to her. Even after your parents died, it was still the same world with the same people and places, and you had me. Not so with Andrea, everything died and changed. All she had is you and I.)

Ravin looked longingly at the girl as she scurried about the room getting ready to partake of the excellent bathroom. True to what Shadow had said, if she was distressed she didn't show it. Ravin only sighed as she scuttled into her sanctuary of steam and bubbles. Ravin turned to the bed only to find a purple zebra guarding the bed. Mauve shook his head, tauntingly.

"Rgggorrrr." (Mistress said to guard the bed from nasty little birds. To bad you don't have an organoid to protect your wishes.)

"I did have one once, but it was stolen from me," Ravin said as he sat down on the couch to untie his boots. _Arrrrggghhhh I hate that girl_ Ravin's mind screamed. Mauve\Shadow cocked his head to one side innocently as if saying 'What are you so upset about'. Ravin threw his boot at Mauve's head, which he knew wouldn't hurt the organoid too much. 

****

CLUNK

The boot bounced harmlessly off Mauve's thick head.

"You had better not be harassing 'my' organoid," came a voice from the bathroom.

"Rggghhh?" (?)

"Nevermore," quoth the Ravin.

Andrea stirred the bubbles around in her full bath revealing a clear circle of water. She stared deep into the water looking at her image. An ivory face with dark eyes stared back at her. She searched her image hoping to find something new, herself. The water seemed to wave with laughter at her foolish game, at her. Reckless eyes stared back at her, conforming her worst fears. She had only once seen eyes as reckless as hers. Phiona's, the Pheniox Queen, eyes: Phiona was the most slipshod being. She broke people's lives without care and after the damage had been done she retreated to her cocoon of power. Andrea did not want to be like that. She longed sadly beyond her bathroom door. The image broke. Small circles spread out seeking the ends of the tube, and then more centers of ripples joined the first, as if trying to deny what the water portrayed. _For water does not lie._

************************************************************************

Andrea looked down horror-struck at the thought of putting her old cloths back on again. She cracked open the bathroom door allowing great pillows of steam chase freedom in the larger room.

"Mauve, Mauve come here," Andrea hissed as she craned her head around the door. Obediently, Mauve jumped off the bed to follow the beckoning call of his Mistress Pro-Temp. "Is Ravin asleep?"

Mauve nodded his head in a reply to her answer.

"Good, now bring me on the thick robes in the closet, quietly."

"Rggghhhhgggga." (No need to worry about waking Ravin, he took some sleeping pills.) Mauve rggghhhhgggga'ed on his way to the closet. He brought it back, dropped it by the bathroom door, and patiently sat on his hunches in front of the door, like he was awaiting orders.

"Now go wait in the closet, you perve of an organoid."

"Rrraagggg." Mauve roared downtrodden as he trodden off to the closet.

After a while, the entry to the bathroom opened up to reveal a fully dressed…robed girl. Great billows of steam gathered about the entrance creating cumulous nimbus clouds all around her. She walked out into the room to find a sleeping Ravin stretched out on the couch fast asleep. A giggle floated up from her steamy body (a\n-Andrea likes her baths really hot as in the water). Poor Ravin was too lanky for the medium sized couch. Even with his head propped up on the sofa's arm, his legs still hung off the other end of the couch. 

No, not now. Not with victory within arms reach. Don't get soft. Nooooo. Andrea sighed; Ravin just didn't look comfortable on the couch. _Nooooooo!_

"Mauve, help me drag Ravin over to the bed," groaned Andrea. She was just too weak. She had been so close yet so far. It wasn't fair. She pushed back the covers of the bed as Mauve dragged a floppy (a\n- now there's a word you don't see everyday to describe Ravin, I could have used lifeless or flaccid, but I liked floppy-hehehe) Ravin onto the bed. Andrea smiled. She had never seen Raven so…droopy. An evil smile crossed her face; after all she could never be totally nice. And she did buy a camera with Ravin's money.

"This is such a Kodak moment," Andrea whispered to Mauve as she scampered across the room looking for her "props". A mischievous laughter escaped from Andrea at the thought of the blackmail she could get out of it.

"Rgggghhh?" (What are you doing? -.-') Shadow sweat dropped at the insane girl pouring out vodka and other alcoholic beverage bottles and grabbing a bunch of cigars. She placed one cigar in Ravin's mouth and placed the vodka bottle under Ravin's hand. She strode the other empty bottled on the bed and floor.

****

Flash…. Flash…. Flash

Andrea clicked the camera has fast as she could. After about the first five pictures, Mauve leaped off the bed, leaving a passed out Ravin on the bed. After using up a roll of film, Andrea rummaged thru her bags to find some clean clothes to wear. 

"I shall call these pictures- Hangover: the wrath of grapes. Well, I thought that we could check out the nightlife was well as get MY film developed," Andrea blushed to a questioning Mauve. "Well I would ask Ravin if he wanted to join us, but if he slept thru all that, then I guess I know the answer."

Mauve didn't want Andrea to go out. She just might forget about Ravin with all those "smooth" guys at the bars and what not. She did look pretty all dressed up in clean cloths. He wished he hadn't given Ravin those sleeping pills. She was the worst kind of girl to let lose among those types of guys. She didn't think too much of her looks and was used to fighting with Ravin all the time. Her circuits might overload with the talk the guys shoveled out. _Yet, she is not a stupid girl _thought Mauve comfortingly. _At least I can come along with her to keep trouble away from her._

***********************************************************************

Andrea picked her way thru the bar. The sight of the drunken asinine garbage that littered the floor of the bar disgusted the girl. Andrea, herself, didn't drink but the bar was the only place open. She had seen enough drunks to cure her of the want of alcohol of any kind. She walked over to the bar with little trouble. One guy had tried to make a pass on her, but she quickly remedied his aliment with a little purple pill launching his way down the fool's throat. Another drunk had tried his luck, but she cured his problem too. She said something to the effect of 'If you don't leave me alone, I will pull all of your appendages off staring with your smallest one'. Apparently the guy didn't think it was too funny, because he left. The bar tender decided he liked the girl, so he also kept the trash from getting on her nerves the best he could as she drank her drink (non-alcoholic).

Andrea turned her head as she heard the bar roar with laughter as some guy stumble in. He clearly didn't belong here. It was pitiful. Two other people followed him in; they "fit" into the atmosphere better than the first. Andrea smiled as the first said all the wrong remarks and made all the wrong moves on all the wrong people. His two friends hung back and let him make a fool out of himself. Finally he made it over to the bar and sat next to her. She turned to get a good look at him. He was medium height with a red line on the left side of his chin, brown eyes, and brown hair done up strange. _At least Ravin's hair looks normal_ thought Andrea. _Well he might be amusing_. 

"I see you have set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in front of strangers," she said to the strange guy.

"Oh?"

"I'm Andrea. I see you haven't been in bars much," she stated as she sipped her drink. She raised her eyes above the rim of her glass, while the boy was no Ravin on the intellectual level, yet there was something she liked about him.

"How could you tell?" asked the amazed boy.

"You just don't have that certain "gena sa quiov," (a\n- my French is spelled phonetically seeing as I am in Spanish.) she replied while swirling her drink and looking at it. "I don't drink much myself, but I had friends who used to. I would go along with them to keep an eye on them once they got drunk. And they always would." She stole a glance at the boy and his friends. One had a strange eye patch and the other was a girl with her hair done up differently. Mauve growled from his resting spot underneath her stool.

"Oh, I see you have an organoid," said the boy enthusiastically. He jumped off his stool to inspect Mauve. "He looks kinda weird, is anything wrong with him?" At this remark Mauve could contain himself no more and tried to bit the boy.

"Mauve," Andrea scolded the organoid. "No there is nothing wrong with him," she replied indignantly to the boy.

"I apologize for my friend. He can get carried away at time, especially dealing with zoids. By the way, I am Moonbay and the guy with the eye patch is Irvine."

"Charmed I am sure," she replied. "May I inquire as to the boy who is molesting my organoid is?"

"Sure," said the one-labeled Irvine.

After a brief silence, she forced the question, "And who is the boy molesting my organoid?"

"Van," the Irvine barked.

"Perhaps, Van, you should leave Mauve alone. He is not to friendly among strangers," said Andrea worriedly as Mauve was getting irritated at the strange boy poking him.

"Van have some manners," yelled the one named Moonbay.

Van reluctantly got up on his stool. "Who are you here with?"

"A guy named Raymond," she said stumbling over the name. Luckily, no one noticed except for maybe the one named Irvine. She had finished her drink and was getting up to take leave of the group.

"Perhaps you and your friend would like to join us and our other friend for dinner tomorrow night?" asked the intrigued Irvine. Something about the organoid wasn't quite right. Where had he seen it before?

"That's a great idea Irvine," sad Moonbay enthusiastically, "and before dinner you, your friend, I, and maybe Fiona can go shopping for clothes. I am getting tired of wearing this same outfit day after day."

At the mention of shopping Andrea's ears perked up, "I would love to go shopping with you, but I don't know about Raymond," she said worriedly. 

"He's not acquainted with the art of shopping."

"gggrrrrr."

A giggle escaped from Andrea at Mauve's remark. Realizing that Moonbay and the others didn't understand him, she translated "Mauve says that if Raymond values his wallet, he will acquaint himself with the art quickly enough."

Moonbay raised her eyebrow at this comment.

"You see, I guess you could say I get distracted easily by," Andrea said cunningly, "shiny objects?"

Moonbay and Irvine laughed at the statement; Van, however, looked as lost as ever.

"I had better let you ladies take leave to plan your afternoon," said a smug Irvine. Aside to Andrea, "Keep her away for a while, so I can hide MY wallet."

She ran her fingers under his chin, "K' ", she said seductively, "Bartender," in louder tones, "leave my account with Irvine and Van here."

Her and Moonbay walked out planning their excursion.

************************************************************************

Ravin collapsed on the bed. It was a very wise decision he had made to accompany Andrea on her little "outing" with Moonbay. _I swear she could bring to Republic out of its depression, if she had the money to._ He had never carried so many bags in his entire life. Apparently Mauve hadn't either, as the organoid trumped back into the room. Mauve had been Moonbay's while Ravin was Andrea's. _Poor Mauve_ thought Ravin. Moonbay had dragged him everywhere (a\n- And I mean _everywhere_). At least Mauve was already pink and purple. Andrea had been somewhat better, only dragging him into a lingerie store once. Ravin had never been so embarrassed before. There he was, Zi greatest assassin, standing in a girls' lingerie store. He had been sure not to look at anything or anyone. It just wasn't right for him to be there.

"Andrea are you done yet?" asked a perturbed Ravin. "You are so slow, I swear. We are going to be late."

The door creaked open. A fuming (an just not from her hot bath) girl with stilted eyes appeared. She held a steaming curling iron in her right hand and a blow dryer in her left.

"Now Ravin, do you really want to make a girl with a bad attitude mad at you while holding a blow dryer and a hot curling iron?"

"Just remember Violence is not a solution," Ravin said smugly while dodging an object whirling past his head.

"No, but it is an answer."

************************************************************************

A complete Andrea finally stepped out of the bathroom. She had curled the top layer of her hair loosely, leaving the bottom straight. It was different, yet, pretty effect. She wore a midnight green shirt with lose cuffs, black flare pants, and black high heeled boots. She had had trouble finding boots with long enough heels for her pants. She had dragged Moonbay all over the town looking for pants short enough and heels tall enough. _It seems that people are still making pants with six-foot beauties in mind,_ she thought. She used dark brown eye shadow with black mascara, which made her eyes look browner. She was pleased with herself. After seeing all the pretty girls in town and on the magazine covers, she took extra special care for her looks tonight. She hoped Ravin liked what she picked out. She looked so different from the girl who just threw anything that fit and was somewhat comfortable. _It is a good thing that I wore heels so much, or I might trip over myself._

"Umph. Really Ravin I wasn't THAT long," she said to a sleeping Ravin on the couch. "So Mauve how do I look?"

"Grrrr." (^_~)

"If I could be any zoid in the world," Andrea said in mock stupidity, pretending to be on one of those cheesy dating shows, "it would be a Liger, because I like it rrrrougggggghhh."

"If you are done putting the moves on MY organoid," said a not-so-asleep Ravin.

"You forget he is my organoid for the time being," she said walking proudly to the door, "isn't that right, my amethyst?"

However as Andrea was at her pinnacle of condescending air, she tripped over one of her packages, sending her flying into Ravin. Ravin turned around in time to try to catch Andrea. He caught her just as she was about to fall flat on her face; however, Ravin forgot to factor in her momentum into the problem. Which resulted in sending them both crashing to the ground.

"Haven't we met before?"

"I can't think when or where."

"Perhaps, I confusing you with someone else. After all, this is a very common stopping ground."

"I couldn't think of a better place to stop."

"You seem so familiar, like someone out of a dream."

They stood, or rather laid, looking at one another for a while after they finished their game. Unbenosted to the both of them in the shadows of the corner, a crafty organoid sat smiling at himself. _Andrea isn't the only one who knows how to work a camera._

They finally made it to the diner party. Andrea had been irritated that Ravin paid more attention to Phiona at first, but then she forgot about him while she talked to Van and Irvine.

__

Boy, this boy is dense. It seems a good thing that Van sticks with his instincts, it seems that thinking only confuses the dear boy. Wait; forget what mini Van of there is saying. Is Ravin putting the moves on that crack whore Fiona? Rgggg. Amnesia my butt. I had been asleep for twice as long as she had and I remember everything. She is such a fake blonde! I can't believe Ravin goes for that kind of girl. What, is Van saying something important? 

Andrea dragged herself out of her world. Van was sitting next to her talking about his accomplishments as a Zoids pilot and his misadventures. She managed to smile at some of them. Then the smile dropped. Van had made the mistake of talking about Ravin to the girl. He boasted on how he defeated the warrior numerous times. Ravin hadn't told Andrea any of this. Why? How dare he hurt Ravin. Rgggg. What? He destroyed Ravin's first zoid. Just because Ravin has some anger management problems. He went on to talk about how _easily_ he defeated the Genosaurer. 

__

Well, I am not going to take this anymore. Andrea stood up and slugged Van as hard as she could.

"Well it looks like 'Mr. Hero' has a glass jaw," shouted Andrea. "Come on Ravin, we are leaving. By the way Van, I am surprised that no one else fell asleep during your stories, because that's what happens when people listen to fairy tales!" 

Andrea dragged Ravin back up to their hotel room. "I can't believe that Van saying he beat you sooo easily," fumed Andrea to Ravin. "I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about him."

Ravin smiled as Andrea angrily stalked the room. He hadn't seen her so mad, since …ever. Suddenly by the window she stopped, looked out, and became still. Ravin walked over to stand by her and see what she saw. The stars and mists. 

"Aren't the stars beautiful tonight," asked Ravin not looking at the stars.

"Yes, they are. So cold and distant, looking down on us, watching our petty lives. To them we are nothing but a blink of the eye. The ironic thing is," Andrea turned her head to Ravin, "that some of them are already dead."

Ravin gave her a quizzical stare.

"Yes, they are so far away that the light is just now reaching Zi. Long after they are dead, their light still shines. I am sure there is some good moral in this, but I am content to leave it unlearned." 

************************************************************************

Author's Note: Well I didn't make this chapter too mushy and icky. But you can go ahead and say that it's all romanticy and all. So I don't have to try and write another chapter like this. What can I say? I am just not a romantic. But you should say that I am.

Part Two of this chapter will better explain the title, but it was just getting to long. I have noticed that my chapters are steadily getting longer. Newayz, I was reading through some emails I had written and noticed that I actually used the word 'yall'. *Hangs her head in self-disgust* God, I pray, that you don't let my friends find my work or I will never live this down. By the way, I think the next chapters will be more serious and have more in the way of plot. But I am just not a serious person, so don't expect much.

Factoid- Tsk Tsk. Having to tell the people to say your story is romantic. The fact that you consider it stupid and garbage just proves my point of your being frigid as the iceberg that sank the Titanic. It is just plain pathetic.

Fire fox- What? Has someone been looking in the mirror again?

Factoid- Andrea you are just plain mean! I am never going to speak to you again.

Fire fox- So you promise. You made that promise to me hundreds of time this year alone! And way to go. Some of the people may not have figured out my name was Andrea and you just go and blow my cover! Besides who decided to start him Christy? 

Factoid- That's beside the point.

Fire fox- No it isn't. And who scored below 20 on Cosmo's flirting test? Apparently I am not the only frigid one here.

Factoid- Hey, I am proud of my "frigidness". Besides that magazine is garbage. I couldn't belive you. Reading those articles out loud in the bus. I mean we where surrounded by guys!

Fire fox- Oh, come on. Christy hardly counts as a guy: I am not sure he counts as a rock. And W? I'm sure he enjoyed it. You read the articles, NEwayz.

Factoid- I have to admit some of them were funny. Especially the one about the "bad case of bounce."

Author Notes. I don't know why I put this in my story. I just did. It gives you some indication of my character. I guess. Well if my friend finds this as she threatens to do, she will know its me. Most of the aforementioned conversation actually happened. So plz read and review. 


	6. Mists of Memories- Part Two

Fire Fox: Ohhhhhh. I don't feel so good.

Factoid- I told you not to pig out on the chicken stirps.

Fire Fox- But they looked so good. They were all golden brown and juicy and just so chickeny.

Factoid- Well it is just your own fault. Now you have to write on your story with an upset stomach.

Fire Fox (grumbling)- That's not the only thing that is going to be upset.

Factoid- What's that?!

Fire Fox- Nothing.

Factoid- I see no one said you weren't frigid. The fact that you consider the "mushy" parts garbage just proves you are frigid. Besides, only frigid ppl laugh while watching the Titanic for the first time.

Fire Fox (stares wide eyed at Factoid)- Were did you hear that? No Factoid don't tell them!!

Factoid- M told me that at the part where the Titanic is sinking. You know the part where some unknown dude fell off the top of the boat onto the peeler and bounced. Someone busted out laughing. They were the only person laughing in the entire theater. M was so embarrassed.

Fire Fox- (hangs her head down) It's true. But if you listen really carefully you can hear a "ping" sound. It's not like it was a real person. M has never gone to the movies with me since.

Factoid- Can't you ever be serious?

Fire Fox- Why take life seriously? It's not like its permanent. Besides you are lucky we aren't rooming together at camp again. Then again bears can't die thrice, can they?

Factoid- You didn't! *knows Fire Fox to well* Don't worry Teddy Dearest I'll save you! I swear Fire Fox you had better not hung him again.

Author's note: It was just so fun the first time I thought I would do it again. Well. Since no one said how "un-frigid" like my last chapter was, I gotta try again. Thanks a lot guys!

Disclaimer: The devil came to me last night and asked what I wanted in exchange for my soul. I still can't believe I said a box of extra crispy chicken. Stupid cravings. 

************************************************************************

****

NOW

THE FIREFOX HURRIEDLY PRESENTS:

THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter Five Continued: Mists of Memories

"Yes, they are so far away that the light is just now reaching Zi. Long after they are dead, their light still shines. I am sure there is some good moral in this, but I am content to leave it unlearned." 

Andrea beyond the town into the mists, a sad realization hit her hard. She squinted hard at the mists again. She had ran so hard and long, yet here it was just as if she hadn't even tried. 

"It's kind of ironic, Ravin," she said slowly.

"What is?"

"I came to this city to forget my past, yet here it is waiting for me. I should have realized why I didn't remember this particular region to well. 'Neblina' what a pretty name; it means mists, ya know," Andrea put her elbows on the railing and her head in her arms.

"It's ironic because I ran so hard from my past only to run head on to my past."

"What are you talking about?" asked a worried Ravin. Shadow walked up to the pair to see what was making Andrea so serious.

"Perhaps Shadow could tell you," said Andrea. "Or should I say Ri-ue."

Shadow howled at his former name like a wolf howling at the moon upon being set free.

"Of course I recognized you, Ri-ue. Recognized you from the start," to Ravin she said, "Do you see that mist out there? It is not mist, at least the kind you know. Back in the day, it really had no name. No one could ever put a name to it. The normal folk believed that it killed the person it touched. But it is not true."

"What is it then?"

"I am getting to that part. I mean you can't interrupt a girl when she is narrating. You are so inconsiderate, Ravin," she play snapped at him.

"I am so sorry," said Ravin rolling his eyes, "please, pray, go on."

"They thought it was instant death to go out to it, because those who did never returned. A fact often overlooked is the fact is its reputation. No sane person would go out into the middle of nowhere to meet a 'thing' unless they had a death wish. I suppose it did kill the people, but not in the way most imagined," Andrea smiled to herself, "simply put, it shows you the past, your past."

"What is so bad about that?"

"Its hard to explain really. It is a kind of…shall we say 'magic' for lack of a better term. It recreates your past not your whole past, mind you, just scenes. Scenes of your most treasured memories, haunted nightmares, and realities appear to you again as real as the moon and stars. 

"Think Ravin, what type of person would want to commit suicide? One who is tired of living, one who life has became too much of a burden, one who is trying to forget something so badly that death is the only hope. These were the kind of people who ran to Mists. It's no wonder that no one ever returned, at least sane. It is the greatest irony and metaphor: even in death you can't escape your past."

"How do you know all this," asked an anxious Ravin.

"Do you really have to ask after seeing Cold Fire? I wanted nothing to do with anything after… I should have realized."

"If we leave now…"

"No Ravin, there is no escape from our past. It has already caught my scent. It comes baying at our doors. We can't escape it. It won't be just me to get caught up in the mist, though."

"Me?"

"Everyone in the town."

"Why is it coming back after so many years of not existing?"

"Do you really have to ask? I swear Ravin, if you keep asking these stupid questions, I shall think you as dense as Van."

"Van," Ravin said under his breath.

"Yes Van, he could be portrayed to you. You must understand. However real it may seem, it is only the past. Don't forget that. It is over. You are not alone anymore," Andrea felt she could not stress this enough to Ravin. 

She felt he didn't fully appreciate the power of the mist. She had seen it warp the strongest, bravest of men who underestimated it. And she figured Ravin's past wasn't something he looked forward to reliving again. _As long as I am, Ravin, you will not be alone._

Andrea went back inside to change and watch some television. Ravin soon followed. He was shaken by Andrea's talk of the mist, but if what she said was true, then there was nothing he could do. But what really frightened him was the fact she knew so much about it. He feared it might force her back into the state he had found her in. And for all her faults Ravin preferred Andrea to Cold Fire. And there was another _thing_ he had been wanting to talk to her about ever since Shadow told Ravin how she had meet Van. Shadow had said Andrea thought Van was amusing. And just what is _amusing_ supposed to mean?

"So Andrea what did you think of Van," Ravin asked in a sort of roundabout way as he sat next to her on the couch.

"He was amusing. I kept in visualizing the duct tape over his mouth. Why do you ask?"

"No, reason."

Andrea soon fell asleep while watching the television. Ravin looked over at the girl, she looked so sweet in her sleep, well if he pretended he didn't know her. With more gentleness and lovingness then he would ever show her while awake, he picked her up off the couch and placed her fondly on the bed. Only secure in the fact that Andrea was a very, very sound sleeper, he bent over and gave her a gentle kiss (a\n- awe how sweet, I would even say very un-frigid like 0.~).

************************************************************************

Andrea was sitting sideways on a chair with her legs over one of the chairs arms and her back up against the other out by the swimming pool reading a book, while Shadow\Mauve was swimming around in the pool. Andrea was so entranced by the book that she didn't notice Ravin come up in front of her. He grabbed her legs and pushed her around so she was sitting in the chair the "normal way".

"Hey, this is kind comfy. Yes, it is nice."

"That's the way you are supposed to sit in a chair."

"Oh that explains the looks I got when I went into the restaurant," Andrea said jokingly. Ravin smiled at her joke.

"How long do you think till the mist reach here?"

"I don't know," Andrea shrugged, "They will come when they come, I suppose."

Andrea could tell by the look on Ravin's face that her answer did not please him. She sighed and put her book down, carefully marking the page she was on with a piece of scrap paper.

"Very well," Andrea said while signaling to Mauve that she wanted him. "Mauve fly me up about ten feet pass the hotel's roof, would ya?"

Ravin held his breathe as Shadow fly up into the sky with Andrea on his back. He knew that Shadow would be careful, but a sigh of relief escaped from him when Andrea jumped off of Shadow.

"It should arrive in about fifteen minutes.

"Hey Ravin, wanta here a joke. It's funny."

"No."

************************************************************************

The mists rolled into the town as if time didn't matter. It got its name from the mists it resembled but was nothing like them. It could smell her presence here, and she was all it wanted. Another was with her, he smelled interesting too. 

***********************************************************************

"It's here," Andrea said soberly. She went and stood by Ravin. 

"Remember its already past, what's done is done. I am here with you and Shadow. Don't forget that, Ravin, you are not alone," she said to herself as much as Ravin. She couldn't help but shudder at the thought of reliving her past. She didn't want to remember. She didn't know if she was strong enough to stand against the storm of history. She shuddered at the thought of seeing _them_ again. Luckily, she could blame her shuddering on the wind.

"Scared?" Ravin asked as he felt her shivering by his side.

"No, the wind is cold," she said. Ravin put his arm around her to protect her from the wind, not believing a single word she had said (a\n- oh, I think this is very un-frigid like).

"Fine, I am terrified of the prospect of revisiting my past, but at least this time I am not alone. I have Shadow, Ravin, and if I am not mistaken Irvine at my side. Though I think curiosity has brought Irvine to my side more than loyalty. But he will amuse the mists, so let him live, Ravin. Besides I recall an old saying from my day- 'curiosity killed the cat'."

******************************(First Wave)******************************

I ran past the corridors of the senior students thinking that I just **had** to see the Emergence this time. Last time I had kitchen duty, which had prevented me from attending. Apparently Corbet had gotten his Ri-ue to spy on me, and informed Headmaster Packertte of my "wrong-doings". _Its not like he is Mr. Perfect. Just you wait, Corbet. _And the worst part was that while I was connecting with the dirty pots and pans, Corbet had gotten himself a familiar at the Emergence.

****

--I agree with you. Corbet is far from perfect. He often forgets to give me special treats for being his. I follow all of his instructions to the letter, why he could never ask for a better familiar.--

"Of course he couldn't, my midnight beauty. And you follow his instructions perfectly, except when it comes to me," I smiled to the black creature appearing overhead. Ri-ue was my small revenge on Corbet. Ri-ue was supposed to follow only Corbet's orders, but the creature had a special liking for me and did what I asked him to do. He always does it, which is more than Corbet can say. 

****

--If you were mad at me, who would brush me with that nice brush you keep 'specially for me?--

"So true, by the way, why are you here?" I asked the creature who had settled itself on my shoulder. I didn't have to ask knowing Corbet. Just thinking of the boy makes me mad. How I loathed even the mention of his name. My friends being the astute people they were, picked this up quick and lorded it over me as the ultimate comeback to my jokes. Ashley was by far the worst. She had the never to try to 'hook up' Corbet and me every chance she got. Last year she had asked Corbet to the Emergence dance on my behalf. I was algal at her nerve. Fortunately Corbet had to take care Ri-ue that night and was spared having to give Ashley an answer.

****

--To make sure you are not breaking out of kitchen duty to see the Emergence. He thinks you might break out this year to see it.--

"I should of known he had something up his sleeve when he didn't bust me for that 'thing'. Waiting till the Emergence to bust me for something I didn't even do! He knew this is the last year I can get a familiar, and to connect with one I have to be there. How I hate your devious master Ri-ue!"

****

--Yes, he is devious, but you still have me. And you should have been better on guard, you know him to well to trust him. By the way, I don't think he trusts me anymore with matters concerning you, so he might be at Emergence grounds. So keep your eyes open.--

"Thanks for the tip. But try as he might, he will never find me among the crowd," I barely managed to say. I then realized that perhaps I was somewhat out of shape and shouldn't have slept in on morning exercises. I crept through the crowd, making sure to blend in with everyone. 

"Do you see Corbet anywhere?"

****

--No.--

Just than I stopped, I saw the candidates getting picked by different familiars. They, like snowflakes, never looked the same. Each one was different- to suit their master. I saw the smiles, heard cries for joy, an indescribable emotion on some people's faces as they meet their new life partners. 

I heard some people laughing, so went over to where the laughter sounded from after having made sure Corbet was nowhere in the vicinity.

I saw that the crowd was a group of boys known for their bruteness towards the weak and dull. I hated them and their ways, which was the reason I had kitchen duty from now till graduation. Still I was curious as to what they where laughing at so I made my way over to them. I was aghast at what I saw; they were torturing a baby familiar. The poor creature couldn't find its master and was distressed enough without have the idiots tormenting the poor thing. 

It was a fox looking thing with huge triangular ears and green-gray wings. The poor cub's ears where so huge, the thing was tripping over them trying to get away from the oafs. Its body was mainly yellow, however, it had red flaps on the top of each ear and blue hair fraying from each ear. It was one of the oddest familiars I had ever seen. Yet I felt sorry for the poor thing as Beng and his friend pulled the feathers out of its wings.

It was amazing, most familiars didn't last over five minutes if it didn't find its master right away, but this one had stayed around for at least ten searching for its master. I had never encountered such persistence among familiars. They often lived only for the moment, not thinking of conscientious of their actions. That's why they had masters. What was even more amazing was this was only a baby one.

"Leave the poor thing alone, you inane fools," I said as I pushed myself through the crowd, sweeping up the crying thing into my hands. 

**__**

~~What took you so long?~~ demanded a voice.

I looked down at the creature she was holding.

**__**

~~I have been waiting for at least half a century. Now feed me!~~

I gazed into the intelligent eyes looking up at her. I knew I would never be lonely again, without an advocator, or without someone to see through the smoke and only see me. 

Ri-ue flew down on her shoulder and peered at the strange thing in my arms. He was glad I had found my own.

**__**

~~Who is that?~~

--I am the one she brushes everyday. I am also Corbet's Ri-ue. Andrea, you will still brush me now that you have her.

I smiled at the worried tone of Ri-ue. 

"Of course my midnight love," and on seeing the familiar getting angry, "along with Ryoko, my golden beauty."

"He is not 'your' midnight love'," said a voice over her shoulder.

"Hello, Corbet," I said while getting up from off the ground, "And that's what you think."

********************************************************************

Andrea was back again with Ravin and the others. They all stood looking at her.

"I was Corbet," said Ravin. "I never imagined it would be anything like that. I mean I saw and did everything he did. I can't explain it."

"Of course you can't. Now you understand why it was feared."

"I was the one called Ri-ue. It was amazing. Do you miss her?" asked Irvine.

"Infinitely."

"Is she dead?" asked Ravin.

"No just waiting for me," Andrea looked around. "It seems that we now have time before the next 'wave' hits. Which is the fastest way out of the city?"

"East is the shortest distance," said Irvine.

"Who wants to lead?" asked Andrea.

"I will," said Ravin.

*****************************(Next Wave)******************************

"Roooaaaarrr," screamed Shadow with such ferocity that I had turned his head to see what the organoid was doing. I had never heard Shadow sound so…intense, even in the battles with Van. Before I could say anything Shadow took off to who knows where. Perturbed at Shadow's strange behavior, I sat back down and concentrated on my meal. Before I realized it, I was reliving my last battle with Van. 

How I hate Van and his love for everything zoid. Van was an idiot who had lucked out in the battle. He was a pathetic loser who didn't know how to use a zoid right. What I could not figure out was how he had beaten me. The battle was going my way, his zoid was still no match for Shadow and me. When it had seemed like the battle was over, he came out of nowhere to beat my Genosaurer and me. I couldn't believe I had lost to Van and that blonde headed girl. I had been barely able to salvage the Genosaurer. I drifted further into my thoughts of Van and the past, not eating or anything, just letting my hate consume me. Then I heard a dull thud on the ground followed by Shadow. 

"Shadow where have you been?"

As an answer to its master's question, the black organoid dropped the now comatose girl on the sandy ground.

"Rggggg." (To get something.) 

I turned around to see what weapon or component for the Genosaurer Shadow had brought me. It was not a weapon at all.

"What is it?" I asked not sure as to why Shadow had brought it to me.

"Rooaggghh." (A girl.)

"I know it's a girl, but why did you bring it to me?" I asked as I walked over to the girl. Her most striking feature was her thick auburn, now cover with sand and debris. Even with all that auburn hair, she wasn't exactly what I considered beautiful or pretty, so why had Shadow brought this thing to me? 

I was about to get a better look at the girl to see if she had any special marking that spoke of money. So I could ransom her back to her family, but just as I was about to touch the girl: Shadow jumped between it and me. Shadow hunkered down and bared his teeth to me.

"What the crap, Shadow?" I yelled. Shadow had always been dedicated to my wants alone. I was already mad at Shadow for bringing this thing to camp, but now I was seriously about to severely reprimand him and demand his reasons for bringing it here. Then I noticed that she was stirring. She slowly lifted herself to a standing position. She was about five foot five. She shook the sand and debris out of her hair. She turned to look at me. I involuntarily stepped back. I had never seen such _cold, frozen_ eyes before, especially from a girl. 

Those dark brown stared into my soul it seemed like. Those eyes held no fear of anything, not even death or me. They seemed to almost invite death to them, as if life held no more meaning to them. She seemed to laugh at my futile life, my soul through those eyes. She laughed at my victories, defeats, goals, and dreams. Saying it was all a waste, that I was a waste. I couldn't aruge with those cold, frigid eyes-only stare into them. They held wasteland and paradises in them that I could only glimpse at in this world. Such eyes would make Satan shiver in Hell.

"Who are you?" I asked accusingly after I recovered myself from her eyes.

The girl smiled malevolently, mocking my ignorance. I wanted to slap the girl, but couldn't with Shadow standing between it and me. 

"There once was a time when the strongest warriors shrank to sniveling babies crying for their mothers at my presence. People ran from my shadow. But that was in the past, perhaps the current people need to have a history lesson?" questioned the girl with a sideways tilt of her head. "Only the richest and most powerful could afford to hire me, yet even my employers were not safe from my blood-lust. I exist solely to extinguish the fire of life. I _am_ Cold Fire."

"Roooooooaaaaaaaarrrrrrr!" cried Shadow. I gave him a questioning glance. He had never shown regard for anyone save me. What was she, for clearly she was anything but human? And why had Shadow brought her to me?

"Hmph. Your pretty speech does not move me. I think it is just all talk. I have never met a strong girl, and I don't recall any Cold Fire from my history lesson. I was a particularly astute student, too," I replied with more confidence than I felt. She seemed full of herself, probably not half as bad as she says.

"I cannot be blamed for your ignorance."

************************************************************************

"I remembered my first meeting with you," Ravin said stupidly.

Ravin expected a cutting remark from Andrea about his stating the obvious, but was surprised to hear nothing from her. Ravin ventured a look at the girl, her brows where furrowed as if she couldn't understand something. He was about to ask her what was wrong when Irvine gasped for air. He hadn't breathed since the mists had faded.

"I was you, Andrea," panted Irvine.

"You were Cold Fire, yes. She is a part of Ravin's past, so it was always a possibility for you to be her," said Andrea in a blank voice.

"It was nothing like I have ever experienced or thought to…"

"Yes, I know," she said looking up to Irvine with desolate eyes, pleading for him to stop.

"One thing I don't understand is why weren't you Cold Fire?" asked Irvine.

Andrea shrugged, "Who understands the mist? It does not care who gets the parts as long as all the important parts are filled. Maybe it has its reasons for re-playing certain events in our lives, allowing people to experience the same experience through other people's eyes, but who can say?"

"Who's going to lead?" asked Irvine, "Since it seems that whoever is in the lead has to relive their past. I think I should since you two already have."

Ravin was more than pleased to allow Irvine lead, but Andrea wasn't.

"No, I should lead. The mist is here because of me, so if we are to get out of the mists it must first satisfy its curiosity of me."

They had been venturing for a while when Ravin decided to ask Andrea something.

"Do you know what 'scene' you are going to relive?"

"I don't know, but I have a guess of what it will be," said Andrea. She surprised Ravin further by going on, "It will probably be my last memory before I met you and Shadow, I think. But you could go insane trying to figure out the mists."

*******************************(Third Wave)******************************

It was dusk when the wayward sound finally reached my ears. The humidity was so thick; you could feel the air around you. This was the kind of day where all you could do was nothing. The steamy music stirred about me, calling me. So I followed the hot melodies, like a fox following a scent of amusement, only to find myself in a barren café. I found an empty table and ordered some water. I don't know why I had picked a fight with every one this week, but I did. Perhaps it was the weather. 

I sat listening to the jazz for a while. How I loved the untamed notes that sprang forth from the instruments. Jazz was something different, not calmly composed like classical music but not passionate like the turbulent chants. I sat listening to the sultry tones of the saxophone and others.

The saxophone, itself, seemed to speak of my soul. Belonging to neither brass nor woodwind, yet both. I loved the clammy pitches that arose from its bell. Belonging to nothing, wild and spontaneous, yet following the rhythms of the pack. How I wished I were something wild, now. So I could leave the affairs of the human world and trust them to sort out themselves.

The bloody, savagery music thickened in the already oppressive spring air. My hair felt damp against my back. I could hear the mountains calling me in all their majesty, beckoning to me as if I were a wild fox. But perhaps I was. I didn't know what I was any more. All I knew was that the tempestuous melodies of saxophone kept me in the here and now. Instead of off chasing the storms of my fancy, I was listening. I felt myself melt into the ever-changing music.

The saxophone man put down his instrument and trotted over to me. His movement reminded me of the wolves I had seen in the forest.

"So my little Steppenfox has found her way into the city, has she?" he growled.

"I take it you mean Steppenwolf. The wolf of the Steppes who wondered into the life of the herd and the streets of the town. I never thought of myself that way before, but I guess it fits."

"Except you are no wolf, but a fox," he whined. "Now that I know what to call you, what should you call me?"

"Perhaps the Music Man?" I usually didn't play games with strange men, but it was the spring. I always felt restless, reckless during the spring. I was a dangerous person in the spring.

"Good enough, my Steppenfox. So what brings you hear this night?"

"The spring."

"You are a windswept little tempest in the spring, I can tell. You brake things in the spring, and are volatile," said the Music Man.

"Am I really that vaporous?"

"Yes, yet you did not come alone. I see a set of eyes watching you from the distance."

"I know he follows me everywhere and I allow him too. It makes the charade all the more interesting. I am not supposed to be here. You see, Music Man, I am the type of fox that likes to be watched," I said in airless tones.

I have talked with the Music before, each time we go through the game of giving each other names. More often than not, he calls me his Steppenfox. I couldn't tell why, but he does. I loved to hear his voice. In its dark tones held the promise of excitement and wonder. Telling me things far more than words could ever convey and yet far less. I always came to the café in the spring and summer months, but not in the winter or fall. The café and its music was something unknown to me, which is what I desired most during the waking months of spring and inhalation of summer. I couldn't stay away if I tried. I was drunk on the nectar of risk. But mainly the Music Man and his jazz kept me from going off. 

How I loved his voice. At times he would speak in a barely a murmur, only to make me lean closer to him. His voice held false promises, promises I knew weren't true. But I listened to him anyway.

"Some people say my voice has a special quality to it, some claim they are addicted to it," he seemed to pluck the thoughts from the bloom of my mind, "what do think?"

"It sounds of money," I replied as I looked at his golden instrument that lie on the table. I could see my face in its key and curves. A million keys, a million me's, which one was the truth?

"Perhaps they all are," he answered, again, my unspoken pleas, "Yes, perhaps they all are a different truth." He knew my soul, my mind, my being. 

"Perhaps you could better answer your questions in the light?" he asked, again testing me. For what he tested me, I did not know. I didn't even know myself that spring.

"Light can conceal as well reveal. Yes light can hide things as easily as the dark. Half-truths are as dangerous as knowing nothing," I continued to follow him deeper and deeper into his game. But a part of me murmured that it was no longer a game that could be put away easily. I had followed the Music Man to far into the forest to return.

He smiled as if my answers pleased him.

"In your beliefs you are as firm as the rock, yet the wind resides in you too. You know all you need to know save a few important questions."

"What are those questions?" I asked continuing to follow him down his wooded path.

"Simply three questions remain: first, why? Second, of what? And Third, the most important of them all, in this question lies the need, want, and much, much more: Who?"

__

No, my heart raced, my eyes widened. _I renounce you and your world Music Man. I renounce all that is mine_ my mind screamed. I had followed him to far in his twisted world. Any further and I wouldn't have been able to escape. I stood up and ran out of the café. I ran from his money filled voice, his wild music, his golden saxophone with the many faces, and his dark eyes playing with my thoughts. I ran from everything. I had come to close to his spider wed world, and almost got caught in its beautiful strands.

I ceased to run from him, I simply ran. For in that moment the need outweighed the want. The ropes of my binding where broken in that moment. I ran to the ageless forest with its language that I understood. The language of the wind, water, and animals. Not the language of strange men who appeared out of the darkness, or the language of those simple complex questions he asked.

__

I renounce all that is mine.

************************************************************************

Ravin and Irvine looked around. They were puzzled at the abrupt ending of the wave, only to see Andrea on the ground.

Ravin bent down to look at Andrea.

"She is only unconscious," he breathe a sigh of relief. He picked her up in his arms determined to get out of this 'mist' even if he had to carry her.

"Roarrr," Shadowed alerted Ravin to someone else's presence.

She seemed made of the nothing but the heavens and sky. Her long hair was a pale blue with streaks of purple in it. She had great smoldering eyes. She moved like smoke over water. She was the personification of the mist.

"She had to remember her past. For she is her past, do you understand? The ropes that binded her back then, no longer bind her now," the banshee said in silvery tones. She looked sadly down at the cataleptic girl. 

The mists began to swirl and emit a strange light around Andrea. A small golden ring with a amethyst shield with a crest of a golden fox creature appeared.

"A parting gift for the girl. Tell her if the forest isn't what she needs the mist waits. You will find your friends just outside. Now that she has remembered, you are free to go."

Irvine walked swiftly out, wanting to be caught up in the 'madness' no more. The strange girl turned her face to Ravin. Poor boy, the specter thought, the spring will claim more than Andrea this time.

Andrea started to stir in Ravin's arms. Ravin could only look at the spirit in her ghostly beauty.

"Go now Ravin, for time is short. But don't forget. Take you and my friend out of this place."

"Your friend?"

"We have all changed since our school days," she cried. "Some more than others."

************************************************************************

Andrea felt the spring calling her, but this time she knew it wasn't just the spring. Something waited for her at the fall. 

Full in this knowledge, Andrea still felt the winds tug at her spirit as well as her hair. She knew that the game had begun. Phiona was done waiting.

The spring had finally come and what had binded her last time had died along ago. She ran with the need of something wild and with the urgency of not being able to look back. Her ribs ached with pain, unused to run so far and fast. All she knew was that she had to get away. She collapsed on the soft sand and gulped down the air like a beast does to water after being trapped in the arid wasteland.

"Rooaarrrr."

"Hello, Shadow."

"Roaarrrrr?"

"You always knew this day would come, the spring can be stopped more than the night or death."

"Rggggggg."

"Sometimes love is not enough."

She got up, unable to look at Shadow for fear of someone else starring back at her and ran.

************************************************************************

Fire Fox- Factoid isn't here now she has some business to attend too. I wonder when the mail arrives * looks down at a teddy bear missing an ear and smiles evilly*? 

Ravin- You are ransoming your best friend's teddy bear? That is so evil. I like your style.

Fire Fox- Hey look I have twenty dollars more than I thought. *pondering* Now where did I get this from? Maybe the basketball team, baseball team, band, drama club, newspaper, or golf guys? 

Ravin- How can you say such a thing after this chapter?! You cheap little whore!

Fire Fox- No that's not it. *a small candle lights over her head* NOW, I remember. *blushes* You know Ravin, I have been thinking that Hiltz person really isn't so bad (at least not in bed^_^") I know he tried to kill you but.. Wait just one second, I am not CHEAP.

Ravin- How dare you!!! 

Fire Fox- Oh but its okay for you? How stupid do you think I am? I can read other ppl's chapters. Just try to explain to me about Kala, Robyn, the hussy Reiss, and that crack whore Fiona. I don't want to even go into some of the others. Hummm. I am waiting.

Ravin-?

Fire Fox- Oh look I got my first Flame. Wow. I like fire. Fire pretty: burns. 

Ravin- *grumbling* Its not the same thing. 

Fire Fox- Oh, and to all you people who are Reiss\Ravin fans. Don't expect me to write one. I have to have Ravin for myself!!!!!! Bwhahahaha.

Ravin- (sweat drops) I can't believe you! Grrrr.

Fire Fox- *aside* That'll teach some one to go spread his self around like peanut butter. *out loud* Thanks for all yall marvelous people who read and review. I just love ya, well not as much as Ravin, but you catch my drift. **The HURRIEDLY part on the top is because I will be leaving for the six week school\prison camp this Sunday and won't be able to update till it is over most likely.** So while I am there I will outline my next chapters. I know how dorky to go to school camp\prison during the summer. But, hey, it will look great on college applications. So plz review some more. As always, I luv Ravin and my fic. See ya.


	7. Ravin's Shadow

Fire Fox: Hello everyone. Yes, I know. You had thought that I died or something. Nope just been busy. 

Factoid: Well someone wouldn't have been so busy if they didn't wait to read _Grapes of Wrath _the week before school and write the two reports on it the night before school.

Fire Fox: Hey I got it done. And that's all that counts, right? Need I mention _A Tale of Two Cities?_

Factoid (falls to her knees and covers her ears): Noooooo!! Please don't Madame DeFarge.

Fire Fox: Umph. Besides summer assignments where created by bitter teachers. Blahh. Hmmm, I wonder who came up with the idea of summer assignments. Perhaps I should do some research on that.

Factoid: Why?

Fire Fox: No reason. Ohhh Raavviinnn, come here…(wonders off in search of Ravin).

Factoid: Okay…Double F told me that this chapter is set during the time period of G.F. Since only summaries of the last three episodes exist, and Double F is too lazy to go and read them, it is far from the truth. 

Disclaimer: If aliens are smart enough to travel through space, then why do they abduct the dumbest people on earth ??

************************************************************************

NOW

THE FIRE FOX FINALLY PRESENTS:

THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter Six: Ravin's Shadow

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

A cold, arid wind blew, but he didn't notice it. A pair of stagnant eyes stared into the desert fire, not caring, not thinking, not anything. It was pain to care, to think, and it just wasn't worth the effort. He couldn't…didn't care. He ate, drank, and destroyed. Nothing mattered any more. _Why even bother?_ The small droplet of thought created a wave of memories to rush over the dam he had built. Painful memories causing him to shudder. It could be blamed on the piercing wind. No more thoughts flowed.

A metallic night stared down at his master uncomprehendingly from small cliff. He would stay by him no matter what, but…he could find no words to describe the change that had ensued his master. _It was wrong_ was all his brain could grapple. Master had always had Revenge before. But not now, it was different.

A horned head perked up in endless hope at the sight of movement from Master. His cobalt eyes stared long and hard at the moribund figure by the dying fire. Nothing. _At times,_ the organoid thought, _it would be easier to subsist Master's way. _But no, she****had told him not to give way. That master's way was a weakness; the dark creature figured shewould know. **_She _**had told him many things, things she hadn't told to master or anyone. Things he didn't understand or expect too, yet he remember all of them. Of course at the time, all she had known was he and Master. _Yes, she told me many things: that I must look well after my master. Of course she needn't worry. _

"Rgggg," the solid night entity voiced his worry to the nothingness. Master never responded. Something akin to commiserate arose in the distinct obscurity. She had said someday Master would regret. But it did no good thinking of her, she had caused all this. Yet, he didn't blame her. 

His head swung to back to the fire. Master had stood up and was slowly walking away. The black creature shook his thoughts away and made ready to follow him. _No, she needn't worry. I would follow Master to the ends of the earth. He could not get rid of me._

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Vaaannn!" yelled the boy. He had been so close, so very close. _Of course, this was not the first time Van had escaped him,_ the boy thought bitterly. It seemed his life now: to hunt down and destroy Van and all he stood for. How he hated him. God! What he wouldn't give to kill Van.

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

Yet the dry desert wind whispered it wasn't Van at all. _NO! I mustn't think like that, _the boy's mind screamed. For such thinking lead to remembering, remembering to memories that lie dormant, those memories to pain. _Van,_ he thought, hoping to bring his mind back from the breezes of the heart.

He hated the twilight more than any other time of day. He hadn't always hated it, but now he hated it, in a way. He couldn't name the reason he hated it, or wouldn't. It was no matter any way. Just that he hated the rhythm of the sounds and the mentioning of its beginning. 

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

The wind only laughed at the futility of his tries. The air snakes seemed to be talkative that twilight. They could poison his heart with memories, coil his soul with musing, and hiss the music of his future into his mind. They had wait centuries for the coming games; they could wait a few more years. After all, time is but a plaything to them. 

The huge crimson jewel pulsed in sympathy of his master's troubles as his master loyally laid down beside the evolving zoid.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

****

It is ironic, is it not?

"What?" the dreamer roared.

****

You're naming me. 

A black mist formed around the voice. Cold eyes appeared. He had seen those eyes somewhere before, but he couldn't remember. The rest of the creature materialized from the haze, but he only saw the eyes. An artic inferno burned within their depths, a man could lose himself for eternity in them if he was careless. They leafed through the pages of his soul, easily. Those eyes had seen the likes of him before and sunned him. For in the opinion of the eyes, he was weak. Fury arose in the sleeper at the thought of being considered weak. Yet…he had seen those eyes before. 

****

Or won't remember.

A laughter arose from the shapeless creature, except the eyes showed no hint of humor within their blaze. Just bitter disdain for what he was. It had picked the thoughts from his mind as easily as a child could pick blackberries from a summer thicket.

"What do you mean 'won't remember'?" the dozer demanded.

****

The human mind is a funny thing, is it not? Some memories are too painful to be remembered that if they were remember it would lead to the destruction of the person. So the human mind pushes them back. Refuses to admit their existence. Represses them. Forgets them. And forgetting is a bad thing.

"I haven't forgotten about Van!" he yelled, not knowing what he was trying to prove to those dark fire eyes.

The voice laughed a pitying laugh, **_Yes, you remember Van. Of course, you remember your hatred of Van. But why do you hate him? What do you plan to do? _**The eyes laughed to, but not with pity. No, they laughed a mocking laugh. Mocking him.

"I hate Van because he is weak in his love. Weak in his love for all things zoids and beauty," the slumber-er retorted with wild storm building. "I will kill Van."

****

'Weak in his love.' Yes, I see, 'Weak in his love.' Do you then, think love is a weakness?

"Yes! It leads to weakness! But I am done answering your questions! Tell me who you are, NOW!"

****

What will you be left with? After you kill Van?

The sleeper didn't answer. He let the silence fall like death. Inanition was all there was save him and the dream creature. Emptiness was all that stayed in his abandoned soul, save the dank fire of revenge. His essence had become addicted on the drug. He needed blood, death, and revenge. That was all that separated him from oblivion. The dank fire had burned its abyss deep in his deserted soul. The sleeper didn't answer.

****

You are correct. That is all revenge leaves.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He stared into his cup thinking of his dreams long after his unwanted visitor had left. Why was he having those dreams now? His eyebrows furrowed with the questions of the unfathomable. _'What will you have left after you kill Van?'_ he ran its question through his mind again. What purpose would his life hold after all his fighting was done. All his life he had fought or trained to fight. Long had his soul been addicted to the ecstasy of revenge. He tried to imagine what it would be like once all his fighting was done, revenge extinguished, and blood thirst satisfied. All he got was a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. At first he had just wanted to rid Zi of all the stupid Zoids. For they where weak, they were the reason he was on this godforsaken planet in the first place. _It would have been ironic,_ he thought sadistically, _I would have proved the undoing of that which had brought me here in the first place._

However, his ambition was cut short when he met up with Van and Fiona on accident. _Van! _his mind snarled. It would be enough just to kill Van and his stupid love of all things Zoids. Never mind about the rest of the Zoids, just Van. Van was the weakest pilot he had encountered. The only thing that had made him stand out was his organoid, Zeke. Even with Zeke's help, Van was still weak. Van was weak in his love. 

'_Weak in his love?'_ the dream creature said mulling over his words as if he had said something revolutionary. '_Do you consider love a weakness?'_ it had asked. He had never thought about it. Perhaps there had been a time when the answer would have been no, but that time had long past. _Funny how life is_. Once he would have laughed at the idea of beginning a world-feared assassin, he would have to the person's face if they told him his future. He had never dreamed of turning out the way he did. But then no one ever does. _Now: another day, another body. _

Suddenly the gem of endless blood fell from the zoid revealing a bittersweet zoid. The adumbrate creator appeared in front of its lord. Looking eye to eye with his master, hoping to find approval there. 

He stood staring at his organoid; its sapphire eyes staring unflinchingly back at him. He could see his reflection in those wintry eyes. He could see the hatred, rancor, and his phantoms mirroring back to him. In fact in the shadow of the mind, his organoid and himself where the same. A shiver passed through the organoid's master. 

Turning his thoughts back to his new zoid his partisan had given him. _Even with Zeke, he was no match for me. Now with the GenoBreaker…_

A sound in the bushes behind him caught his attention, the crepusculesagittary jumped in front of its Master, prepared to fight to the death for its Master. It spread its bat-like wings in an effort to protect his master.

He pulled out his knife ready to kill anything or one who would appear from the bushes. Nothing…he turned back to the fire.

A pair of rainbow swirled eyes stood watching him from the other side of the fire. The pyre's light turned the owner of the eyes an angry golden blood red. _The color of an ocean of blood at sunset_ he thought warily.

It was an organoid unlike any he had ever seen. It stood on all fours. It was draconic in appearance with a long swan-like neck. Ridges grew down its graceful neck. Huge bat-like wings were folded against its back. 

Its face was what caught his attention, though. It was triangular in shape. Its eyes were held every color, depending on its mood. Right now, its eyes were a curious shade of purple. Five rows of ridges with each ridge ending in sharp points decorated its head. The creature was powerful. (A/n: the organoid looks like the dragon on the book cover of Barbara Hambly's _DragonsBane _except gold, which probably helps none. Since I doubt neone has read it)

It walked through the fire till it stood eye to eye with him. The amethyst eyes held his, searching them. Than as if it had found he wanting in some way, it stood on its back legs, raising it well above his height.

"Rggggg?" (If Van was no match for you even with Zeke, than _why_ are you here?) It asked mockingly.

"Whose are you?" he asked in icy tones.

"Ragggggddd." (People change, beauty fades, love dies, but you will always be alone.) 

"I repeat who do you belong to, creature?"

"Raarrrggg." (That is not my purpose to tell you whose I am. My purpose here is to repay you for services once rendered. I have found you lacking. As you have deemed Van weak in his love, I deem you weak. But still I must do as my mistress commands. Like your own shadow must do what you do, given no choice of its own.)

The orchoid organoid lowered itself to all fours. It spread its mammoth wings and roared its challenge to all that may hear it. Its eyes glowed a fiery damask. It opened its jagged beak to reveal a row of thin, salient teeth. In the middle of the mouth, lay a solferino gem burning. It seemed to be soldering in the gilded creature's mouth.

He was hesitant to take the gem from the organoid's mouth but finally he reached in and grabbed it. Surprisingly he still had his hand, he looked at the many faceted gem. Each stratum showing his face, yet each was only a distorted umbra of him.

"Rooaarrr." (It is something to think about.) The organoid turned its head to the other organoid almost veiled in its master's shadows. "Rooaarrr." (Live up to your name, my dearest. For your master will need you more than ever.)

With that, the golden tatzlwurm turned and jumped into the air. Once it was high enough, it folded its wings to plunge downwards at an amazing speed only to spread its gilded wings and soar up back into the clouds. Finally after several displays, it disappeared.

"Rooaarrr," his own organoid responded to his thought. (Her name is Free Fall. She wasn't always called that, but she is now.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The only things that existed were he and the blood-red stone. The gem seemed to pulsate with power. Something about the gem unnerved him.

****

As well it should.

The same voice as before.

****

True it will severe you well and do only what you wish. But a price must be paid, a very heavy price if you invoke it. 

Anything you want can be yours, but every reckless action has its consequence. Every dream its nightmare. 

The price for such things is heavy. 'You never know what you want till it is gone.' That is the price that must be paid. Your heart's desire, your hearts most treasured dream or possession. You can never reach that dream or own it once the gem has rendered the service you ask of it.

"What good is it then?"

****

Most people don't know their hearts desire, so they wish for one thing thinking it will bring happiness. After that…something caught its attention. She gave one final glance goodbye to the dreamer and vanished.

All he was left with was many questions, the gem, and the air snakes' song.

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He had tried to protect master. Honestly, he had given all he had to Master, but it hadn't been enough. He was all that Master had left, he was all that protected Master from desolation, he had been master's shadow, yet it hadn't been enough. He had failed her. She said…he could already sense Master's downward spiral.

An idea struck the organoid. Her. She would help. After all, she was what Zoids Eve fed off of. He knew Master would whether anything than ask her for help, but she had said live up to his namesake.

After all he was Ravin's Shadow.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ravin…Ravin…Ravin…RAVIN!!!!

The voice kept trying, however, she was getting mad. He was going to listen to her.

****

Ravin, you must awake. There are those who are waiting for you.

Silence.

****

What would Shadow do without his Ravin? Yes, Shadow awaits you, among others. I promised you once that as long as I am you will never be alone. It is time to quit grieving. There are those who need you and your Shadow waits for you. It is not going to be easy, but you must.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ravin awakened. He looked at the girl next to him. She had obviously meant for him to take care of Ryss. _Well, she had said it wasn't going to be easy. And she did say I wouldn't be alone. _He felt the ruby gem pulsate in his pocket. All he was left with was many questions, the gem, and Ryss.

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Fire Fox- This seemed like a good place to end part one. Don't you agree? Don't worry I already know what I am going to do for the next chapter, so it shouldn't be as long as a wait, if you care. I will be adding Hiltz in later chapters, hopefully, or at least I know I WILL be adding Ambient. *Starry eyes* Ambient is sooo cool.

Shadow- GRRRRR!!!

Fire Fox- *laughing nervously* You're cool, also! But that thing Ambient does to the zoid, you know evolving them instantly, so cool.

Shadow- AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!

Fire Fox- *eyes wide in terror* But you are my all time favorite, Shadow! I promise! I love you more than life itself! I know not the words to sing my devotion to you. You ARE the reason why I love Ravin!!!!!!!

Shadow- rrrrrr….

Fire Fox- Fine! You will be the star in the next chapter. Now you got to help me…Oh thanks to all those who read this far! Sorry about taking so long to post chapters but I have been busy, honestly.

Thanks to Hell Fire, Biowolf, and all the others who reviewed! 

Please Review! I love Raven. See ya. 


	8. Shadows of the Heart

Fire Fox-Oh, hello Ravin. *sigh*

Ravin- I am not going to even going to ask.

Fire Fox- Aren't you the _least_ bit curious as to why I am soooooo sad?

Ravin- NO!

Fire Fox- Since you asked….

Ravin- I didn't ask!

Fire Fox- Factoid said all Japan'amaition was stupid!

Ravin- So?

Fire Fox- -_-' So she said that YOU were stupid! And Hiltz and all the other cool evil villains are stupid.

Ravin- I will kill Va..I mean Factoid.

Fire Fox- *sweat drops* I see someone as a one has a one track mind.

Ravin- What did you say?! Grr…

Fire Fox- *sweat drops* That might be kinda hard since she is a goddess, you know the killing her part. Since, goddesses are immortal and all…

Ravin- How is she goddess?

Fire Fox- *proudly* I made her a goddess to help with my plans for world domination.

Ravin- *gives Fire Fox a cross b/n you-are-stupid and what-the-bloody-hell look*

Fire Fox- What?! Didn't you know that I am the Goddess Xofe-rif?

Disclaimer: "Nietzsche was stupid and abnormal." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

NOW

THE FIRE FOX DIVINELY PRESENTS:

THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter Seven: Shadows of the Heart

Shadow limped back to the camp, hoping against hope that Ravin wouldn't be awake to notice his less than grand return. Deep gouges, bite, and scratch marks flaked with gold paint decorated the organoid's body frame.

"Rggrrga." (Grumble, grumble, grumble)

"Rrrrajfaf." (I was just going to make a quick, friendly call to see how she was doing, but _noooooo_ I ended up almost getting my head bit off, literally.)

"Shadow."

The organoid instantly stood up straight and still. Hoping his master would just let the thing slide. However tonight wasn't the organoid's night as indicated by his many tattoos all over his body.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"rooaarrr?" (I was flying with scissors? Playing with sharp and pointy rocks? Or I was flying with scissors and crashed into sharp and pointy rocks?)

"Whatever, just don't wake Ryss or Specula up with your lumbering," his master said with love and concern in his monotone voice. (a/n- I couldn't resist)

"Rooarrggg!!" (Oh yes, I, your faithful organoid, am fine. Never mind that I barely was able to hobble back to camp, never mind about the series of new designs all over me, and never mind that I nearly had my head bit off as long as I don't wake Ryss or Specula!!!)

Ravin turned around to face his organoid. Usually Shadow didn't smart off to him, in fact Ravin could only recall one other period of time that Shadow hadn't obeyed him completely. But now since the whole Zoids Eve incident, Shadow had gotten something almost a kin to an attitude. 

__

But the only other time Shadow had acted like this was when…Ravin pushed those thoughts back. He hadn't heard her name in years. In fact, the last time he saw her had been five years ago when…

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

Suddenly, the pain of suppressed and forgotten memories rushed through Ravin. He dropped down to his knees from the downpour of pain. Shadow came and stood by his master.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A pale moon hung high in the night sky. A boy sat dejectedly by a campfire staring deeply into its golden blood flames. He seemed to be searching the blazes for answers to the endless questions. A cold wind blew tossing the embers about with their hissings.

_People change _  
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

"Bye Ravin, Specula and me will be back in about a hour. Save us some dinner."

A blue haired girl and an azure organoid walked away from a boy and his sleeping shadow. A pair of jade eyes stared at the boy sitting by the camp. It had taken almost two weeks to track him down, but soon it would be worth the effort. A deadly smile slithered up the girl's mouth. _So HE is Ravin, he will pay _the girl thought in deadly anticipation. Ravin is the one who had put her friend in the comma, and he will pay. 

Ravin, have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? the girl silently laughed as she fingered the silver dagger in her belt.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He stared into the fire, searching for answers he could not find elsewhere. _I have looked everywhere else, believe me. _He reached in his pocket and felt the blood red jewel. He had told no one about the jewel, only Shadow knew of its existence save him of course. 

He kept looking into the fire hoping to find the answers. A sigh escaped Ravin. It was useless; the fire wasn't speaking tonight. The wind was talkative but not with the words Ravin wanted to hear.

_People change _  
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

He ran the poem through his mind. Other questions flooded his mind at the throb of rhythm of the poem. She had asked him what revenge would leave him, and he hadn't answered thinking to best her. But it had been the answer. He had given up the idea of killing Van and was now traveling with Ryss, but that had brought him no closer to answering the questions of his soul.

Then the golden dragon organoid, Free Fall as Shadow had named her, had given him the ruby. But Free Fall had deemed him weak, weak in what? Ravin felt like screaming under the torture of the plague of questions. 

He pulled out the solferino gem from his pocket and stared into its lacuna depths. All he saw was disfigured specters of him. _It is something to think about_ Free Fall had said. But that encounter had just added another sore to his disease of questions. The gem had the power to do anything its master wanted, but to invoke came with a great price. _It would be so easy…all he had to do was ask._

"Rooaarrrr." (Do you forget the price that must be paid? Perhaps once you know the answer, you would never be able to obtain it. Every reckless action has its price.) The ebony organoid picked at his master's thoughts.

__

Sigh, she said it wouldn't be easy. But he felt so alone.

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

A stray memory blew through Ravin's mind, _I promised you once that as long as I am you will never be alone**. ** _

"It would all be so much easier if I knew…if I only knew what," Ravin said to the almost empty night sky.

"Roaarrr." (He thinks of her words, her gifts, and her organoid; all but her.) The sable organoid said to himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She had waited all day, finally the strange blue haired girl and the blue organoid left the dark haired boy, Ravin. She hoarsened the raw anger that had been building in her for weeks. Her muscles tensed for action, her knife gleamed for blood, and her body screamed for revenge.

"RRRROOOooaaaarrrr."

The obsidian organoid had sensed a dangerous power in the bushes. The power wanted revenge. The black organoid knew revenge when he sensed it; after all it had lived with revenge for most of his life.

However, Shadow would protect his master no matter what. It charged at the thing within the bush.

A bolt of electricity erupted at Shadow, short-circuiting him. The black organoid fell with a thud to the ground, motionless. Steam arose off of Shadow from the sheer power of the attack.

Ravin jumped up as soon as he heard Shadow fall to the ground. Rage ran through Ravin's heart at seeing his hurt Shadow. At the same time a flicker of fright flashed through his heart as the stygian creature did not get back up.

Ravin turned his head to the bushes. He saw a creature rise from the shade. All he could see was an outline of the attacker against the setting sun. 

The assassin was obviously female, and a well-built one at that Ravin could not help but think.

A sneer crossed the pretty young face.

"Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moon light, Ravin?" she said as the sun completely disappeared, leaving only the full moons of Zi for light.

She tossed her long dark green hair over her shoulders, and powered up her long sword for another lightening attack.

She jumped, her sword slicing through the air. She aimed her attack at Ravin. 

Ravin sidestepped the powerful attack, and managed to kick the girl in the stomach.

The force of his kick threw the girl back. She hadn't expected to miss her target. She landed on her feet and swung the sword, swiftly at his head.

Ravin easily dodged and threw an upper cut to her chin. The girl was able to sense his punch in time to evade it. She dropped to her knee and kicked Ravin's feet out from under him.

Ravin fell to the ground with a thud. He saw her stand above him with her sword swaying above his heart. He readied himself to roll away and spring another series of attacks on the girl, but her eyes grew dull and she fainted. Well, Ravin still had to roll some to avoid the sword, but didn't have to hurt the girl.

Ravin got off the ground and picked up the girl's sword and studied it. It was an ordinary sword, except it had strange markings and pictures on the hilt. He then turned his attention to the torpid girl. 

Her long hair fell over her beautiful face. She reminded of a fine porcelain doll. 

"Roaarrrgggg." (Like a doll that wants your blood to drench the desert sands and wants to rip your head off for some reason or another) Shadow roarg'ed groggily.

He kicked the girl to make sure she was really unconscious, when he heard the whining of another creature.

"Rooaarr, arrghh." (Free Fall go do this, Free Fall go do that. Never mind that you faithfully stayed by my bedside all those long weeks…no months that I was in a coma. But get to work. Never mind that I should be resting! NO! First you must go get that red organoid, it is only a couple of thousands miles away! Oh, and on the way, you should probably stop Ravin and Janine from killing each other.) Free Fall complained in a high-pitched voice. (Well, like I really care if a deranged psycho mauls Mistress's lover boy and pet. No, Janine couldn't just stay put, but just HAD to go off and get revenge! Grrr)

The golden dragon stopped short of the girl once it realized that Ravin and Shadow were staring strangely at her. 

"…Rffff…" (Umm….Hello, Ravin…Shadow fancy meeting you two here in a completely random part of the desert. My, my isn't it a small Zi after all?)

Shadow did his best not to laugh at Free Fall, while Ravin gave the gold one an it-is-a-good-thing-your-parents-had-more-than-one-organoid look.

"What are you doing here? And who is that girl?"

Free Fall quickly stepped over the girl and fused with her.

"Rgggg?" Free Fall said hurriedly. (What girl are you talking about? I see no girl. I think that Ryss's cooking must not be agreeing with you! Yeah…that's it. My, my look at the time! It is midnight! Well, it has been great seeing you again, Shadow. But I am a busy little organoid, and have…business to attend to, bubye.)

With that, Free Fall zoomed off before Ravin could get anything else out of her.

"Rooaaarrr." (Ravin, this might not be the best time to mention this..)

"What?" 

"Rooaar." (First you almost got your ass kicked by a girl, and then you get had by an organoid.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*(3 Months Later)*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two girls sat in a dinner. 

"Andrea, are you sure that you are okay? I mean we could rest some more?" a girl with long green hair asked with concern for her friend.

"Well, I am not the one who tried to kill the one of the persons who can end this stupid game. The person I worked so hard to keep alive and make him understand the beauty of all life," said Andrea. "Well at least I finally got him to stop killing everything he sees and what do you do? You try to off him!"

"Shut your mouth, before you exhaust yourself."

The waiter looked at the girls. The two girls didn't look like the toughest jerky strips in the jerky package. And he didn't want to see the pretty green haired one get hurt.

"Yall garls 'ad better steer clear of the northern pass. Isa heard that Ravin was last se'n traveling that ways."

"Ravin?" the red headed girl perked up at the mention of the name.

"Yeah-up, lately he has been destroyin' anythin' and everthin' in his there path. We had thought that Zi 'as seen the last of that son of a bitch. But suddenly he 'as been a killin' ever-thing he see'd."

Thud, thud, thud.

"Okay, thanks for the information. It really helped us out," said Janine.

"No pro'lem."

Thud, thud, thud.

"Um....Andrea?" Janine asked with a smile, "Do you think that you should be banging your head on the wall like that, especially since you have only been out of the comma for a month?"

Thud, thud, thud. 

"Shut up." 

Thud, thud, thud.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Fire Fox- All done! Yey! 

Ravin- *comes in exhausted* Man, you were right. There is no killing a goddess.

Fire Fox- *proudly* Told ya. You can't kill my partner in world domination. By the way I got some pictures off of some Japan site AND I never knew that you were so in touch with your feminine side! Hehehe....

Ravin- Shut up.

Fire Fox- Okay, whatever, _Reivun_.

Ravin- You are just sick. Besides, I wasn't the one who got caught at Hanky Panky College. com, now was I?

Fire Fox- *gasps* How did you know?! I didn't mean to go there, the stupid computer just redirected me! 

Ravin- Sure you were probably looking for some porn...of me!

Fire Fox- Like hell I was! *lunges at Ravin*

Ravin- Whee!!!!

Factoid- Please review! And wow, Fire Fox is actually on two people's favorites list. Thanks Hell Fire (when are you going to post the next chapter?) and EdfanMH (I am not to sure who you are, but thanks!)

And thanks to all those who review! And Biowolf for her love of Hiltz which gave me the idea of how to end this fic. 


	9. Blood Red Eclipse

Fire Fox- Ravin!

Ravin- Go away, stupid girl.

Fire Fox- Guess what?!

Ravin- Why won't you leave me alone?

Fire Fox- Blimey! 

Ravin- I now know what Hell is….Who in their right mind says 'blimey'?

Fire Fox- Blimey! The crock's got my tail!

Ravin- Are you drunk?

Fire Fox- Hehehehe…'R, I be a pirate 'R Fire Fox, 'Rrrrr

Disclaimer: I too once had dreams of being an intellectual, but soon found it to complicated.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

****

NOW

THE FIRE FOX TIPSILY PRESENTS:

THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter Eight: Blood Red Eclipse

The GenoBreaker flew across the plain. The wind ruffled the grass.

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

The GenoBreaker stopped in the field. There was no point to hurry. Time does not matter. Nothing matters, except death. No one can hide from death, but only a fool rushes toward death, or the desperate. The wind blew harder.

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

The master of the GenoBreaker got out of the cockpit and looked around. The wind messed his hair. His life was messed up too, much more than his hair. His existence was an irony, one after another. Nothing ever stayed. Only the shadows of misery stayed. Nothing was constant, except one thing. The wind laughed.

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

__

'Damn you Van Freiheit,' the boy thought. Van had everything; his life was a fairy tale compared to his. The boy was left with nothing but Shadow. The boy smirked, _'But not all fairytales end happily.'_

The wind raged louder. The boy hated the wind, but could do nothing to stop it. He tried to ignore the wind, but couldn't and never could. The wind was his fate, and it laughed harder because of it. The wind laughed at the irony of it all. Happiness was within his reach, all he had to do was grasp it. Yet, he was ignorant. Million of voices laughed at the irony.

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Andrea let the wind play with her hair. She smiled. She loved the wind. It let her know she was still alive, if that is what one wanted to call it. She could sense Ravin and it worried her. He had never been like this that she knew of. But than she hadn't seen him in years. And people change in years. His new state was akin to her Cold Fire. Her brows furrowed at that thought. 

What could have caused Ravin such grief? What does he feel so passionately to become a version of Cold Fire? What if I haven't the power needed to help him?

The darkness was powerful. Nothing could stop the darkness in this withdrawn state. Ravin didn't care, and no one could stop him, not even the light. Well, maybe if Van went into the same state. Because as a rule the darkness and light were equal. But Van would never go into such a state of mind. Van was good; Van was too strong.

She looked at the blood object by her. It was the only way to save Van and Ravin. She needed both of them for her purpose.

"Andrea, what is that red thing beside you?" asked Janine. She didn't understand why all of a sudden they had stopped. If they wanted to catch Ravin, they had better hurry.

"It's an organoid."

"Where did you get it?" Janine dreaded the answer.

"Found it."

"Andrea, I cannot believe you stole an organoid! This is really not…" Janine was cut short by a gust of wind.

"Free Fall!"

The golden organoid, who had been hovering overhead, dived to meet her master. It folded its wings in and let gravity take over. It continued to pick up speed, finally at reaching maximum velocity it straighten out its wings, but continued to fall. A gold darkness intertwined with its bright color. When it was only a foot above its master, Free Fall let go of consciousness.

Janine looked on horrified as Free Fall collided with its master. She couldn't believe the organoid would do such a thing. 

Janine's eyes widen in disbelief as the dust from the impact cleared. Andrea stood up; well at least Janine figured it was Andrea. She looked like Andrea, except that she had a long gold tail, her hands formed into long, slender claws, antenna replaced her ears, her eyes were more triangular, and she had long, bat like wings.

Andrea/Free Fall turned to the organoid. _"Awake, red organoid."_

The organoid shakily got to its feet. It turned its head from Janine to Andrea/Free Fall.

"Roooaaarrr."

__

"It is yours, all you need to do is name it. It once had another name. But that is gone."

"Eclipse, I guess. It kinda suits him."

__

"To abandon, to fail, to obscure, the cutting off of light."

The red organoid looked to the girl that had named him. He had no choice now, but to follow her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Van looked to the setting sun. Another report had blown in about Ravin's rampages. Van just couldn't understand why Ravin had taken to destroying and killing innocent lives again. He had thought that after the Zoid Eve incident that Ravin had gotten tired of his former lifestyle. In fact, Ravin hadn't been heard of for years. But why now? Van just couldn't understand it. But now, he just wished Moonbay and Fiona back on the base, safe, not gone off to some back-roads place.

"I guess old habits are hard to break," said Irvine, unexpectedly. Van hadn't even noticed his friend walk up behind him.

"No, it is more than that," said Van solemnly. He wasn't looking forward to fighting his old enemy.

"I agree with Van," said Thomas. "I mean Ravin hasn't been seen for years. Why would he have any reason to start up again?" 

"AND I always agree with Thomas," Janine said cuddling up next to Thomas.

"Remind me why you are here," droned Irvine. 

"Because my friend told me to come and help you guys out. But the real reason I stay around the EVIL Irvine, is for my beloved Thomas."

"Poor Thomas."

"You say something one-eyed boy!" Janine released Thomas from the cuddling to get into Irvine's face.

"Van, remind me why _we_ trust this thing."

"Because of that," Van said pointing to the blood-red organoid sitting on top Janine's own Lightening Siax. Which was the real reason probably Irvine and Janine didn't get along. With Janine's Eclipse fused with her Siax, it had been pushed to the siax ultimate potential as a zoid. It had out performed Irvine's Siax on all accounts.

Van stared at Eclipse. It was able to push a zoid to its ultimate form and fuse zoid cores together. The red organoid only glanced down at Van than returned its visual to the west. 

__

It has to be Ambient thought Van. _It is all just too coincidental for Eclipse to look like and have all the same properties of Ambient for them to be two separate organoids. But where and how did she get him? Ambient was destroyed along with Hiltz. If it is Ambient, why is it following Janine? Why is she here? Why is her friend so interested in us? Why isn't it with Hiltz? Why…_

His mind was drawn from his puzzle of questions by Thomas's nervous laughing as Janine flew at Irvine. Van really doubted she was going to give him a hug, unless a hug involved Irvine's blood. 

Eclipse looked at the fight with a smug satisfaction for only a second, and returned his visual to the east.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A figure appeared out of nowhere. She looked around at the ruble that scattered the ground on which she walked. Red and blue metal was mixed with other trash and remains. The wind played with her hair.

"Yes, little sisters, you have waited since the birth of time for this. And now it begins and ends.

"The change winds are blowing."

An unholy light beamed down on the man. He now knew what he was to do. It would be easy. Last time Prozen had been stupid and caused the defeat, but now there was no Prozen. Zi must be rid of all things weak. Van with his love, Raven with his uncontrollable rage, and the other power who remained where all weak.

The red haired man walked slowly way from the valley. He knew his purpose well and knew how to accomplish it.

He only laughed as the wind echoed the questions. He knew the answers. The promise of blood and death filled his senses. Nothing could stand in his way. It would all be his. A cruel smile crossed his lips.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Shut up!" Ravin yelled at the emptiness as he fired a charged particle beam at the wind. 

Why must it always sing that damned song! Didn't he already know that tune by his soul? It need not remind him of the screams and wreckage of the blue zoid. It need not remind him of how he had to watch the blue Genosaurer fight for its life, with him unable to help. Ravin didn't need to be reminded of the blue metal scattered about the empty field. 

The wind hissed back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A huge yellow zoid walked towards the east in a steady pass. It walked straight towards its goal. The huge head of the zoid didn't waiver from the destined direction. It walked like a zombie to the east. It had no other purpose but to reach its destination. It walked through forests, deserts, and towns without head. 

The pilot was the same. She looked only towards the east. For that is the direction where her purpose lies. 

Suddenly, she became aware of a pair of girls to the zoids right failing their arms in attempt to get her attention. A broken down Gustav was also to the right of the zoid. The pilot noticed that the location was the middle of the desert. The girls probably wouldn't survive till another zoid passed by, if one ever did. The path wasn't exactly a main highway.

But she had no time to stop, for every second was planned. She continued on her path.

A nagging feeling edged its way into her mind. A sad thought dashed across her mind: _she had caused so much pain and death throughout her life surely this couldn't hurt. _

But it could. If she was only a second to late.

It won't hurt.

She halted the zoid a few feet from the Gustav. The girls ran up the yellow Saber Fang.

"Get in," she said.

"You going _our_ way?" asked one of the girls.

__

Like I really care which way you were going. "I am going east. Get in. I have already wasted to much time on you all."

The two girls exchanged looks and scrambled up to the cockpit. They both managed to squeeze into the back seat of the Saber Fang.

"You can drop us off at the next town," said the darker girl. The blonde just stared at the pilot. There was something unusual about the pilot.

"I can't stop. I must continue to I reach the Finite base. It won't matter after that," replied the pilot in a zombie state. She only looked forward.

"Moonbay?" the blonde sought her companion's attention after becoming aware of the direction in which they traveled, "Don't you think it odd that she _just happens_ to be traveling to the Finite base?"

"Ummm, I guess."

"I mean just how convenient is it that she just happens to be traveling on the same road, same time, and same direction that we where?"

"Yeah, I guess you are right Fiona," Moonbay replied to her friend. "Hey, you! Where do you think you are going! Don't you know Ravin is supposed to be at Finite!"

The yellow Saber Fang suddenly stopped, as if it had crossed the magic barrier between the lands of the dead to the living. Its head looked all around as if it was lost and was trying to figure out where it was. The pilot also became more alive.

She turned her head to look at her passengers in the face for the first time.

"Really?" she asked in an innocent voice, "Well, it IS a small world after all." A voice to innocent to be true.

A smile crossed Andrea's lips, "You girls had better hang on to your seats."

"Wh.." Moonbay tried to ask as the zoid lurched forward and started accelerating at un-natural speeds for a Saber Fang. It continued to accelerate for miles heading in the direction of the base. It crashed through trees without any heed. 

The Saber Fang roared an angry cry as it sensed two other powerful zoid locked in battle. One of the zoids went down and the other powered up to deal the final blow. The Saber Fang growled a low rumble. As soon as it feet had touched the ground, they were off the ground. It only wanted speed and nothing else. Its fangs caught the ruby light of the setting sun. It sensed its master's worries, something about setting suns: as one sun sets, another raises. A final challenging roar escaped the Saber Fang.

"You are pushing the Saber Fang to hard and fast!" cried Fiona as she and Moonbay hung on to each other for dear life, "You are going to bust the zoid core!"

Andrea just made the Saber Fang go faster, "You would know, Fiona."

"Forget the zoid core!" screamed Moonbay, "there is a cliff coming up. If you continue at the speed you are traveling now, you will never avoid it."

Andrea rolled her eyes, _Really._ "My, my. Now that is a problem, isn't it?"

"Are you some kind of psycho nut!" yelled Moonbay.

"Probably," Andrea replied as she commanded the Saber Fang to jump off the cliff. While the Saber Fang began its free fall to the ground below, Fiona noticed a golden streak fall from the clouds and merge with the zoid. 

Fiona shivered, as the Saber Fang was being transformed, re-designed to Andrea's abilities, her strengths, weakness, and desires. She felt the zoid core's power rise to rival that of the Geno-Breaker and Blade Liger. _How can a zoid change to suit the pilot?_ Fiona's eyes widen with realization, _Shadow increases the sheer power of any zoid, Ambient and Specula pushes the zoid core to its ultimate potential, and Zeke reduces the reaction time between zoid and pilot, so this has to be the work of an organoid._

Fiona felt her stomach turn as the zoid melted away and re-formed into something more. _It's un-natural_ was all Fiona was able to think.

"Rggggghhhh!"(I am NOT un-natural!) Free Fall roared from the zoid core, picking up on Fiona's thoughts.

"Shhhh, my golden beauty. Of course you are not un-natural. Pay her thoughts no never mind," Andrea soothed her organoid, "She only worries for the pilot of the blue Blade Liger."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A battered Liger lay on its side, unable to move if its life deepened on it. An equally battered Geno-Breaker prepared to fire a charged particle gun. The battle between the two had been long and hard. Of course in the state that Ravin was in, made it an un-fair battle. Nothing could stand up to such a withdrawn state, except for another person in the same state. 

Van stared at the Geno-Breaker as it charged up energy. Ravin had always fought with passion, but this was different. He had always wanted to killed Van and zoids, but Ravin had changed. The bloodlust was still there, but it was a different type of need to kill. It was as if Ravin merely existed to burn out the lives of others.

"rorrrrrgggg." 

"What do you mean 'you sense Fiona'?!" Van yelled at Zeke. Van silently cursed. It was bad enough that he was going to die, but Fiona? He tried to make the Liger get up to no avail.

"Where do you sense her?"

"rrrrggghhhh." (In the Saber Fang.)

"What Saber Fang?" Van asked. 

"aarrrggghhh." (That one.) 

A yellow Saber Fang leaped off the side of the cliff with the Geno-Breaker its clear target. It landed on the back of the Geno-Breaker just as it was about to fire a charge particle beam at the Liger, causing the Geno-Breaker's head to swing back and miss the Liger. It sank its teeth into one of the Geno-Breaker's pincers and ripped the red armor off of it, and jumped off in one swift movement.

Van heaved a sigh of relief at Fiona at least being with an experienced pilot. Knowing her, he wouldn't have been surprised if she had showed up with a novice. He was also happy he hadn't been fried. Zeke certainly agreed with him on that account.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Factoid- This looks like a good place to end.

Shadow- Grrrr. (So, she has no idea how this is going to end.)

Factoid- Yep.

Fire Fox- *hic* But I rrrrr be a rrr pirate Fire Fox, Ravin. So you MUST stwalk the splanch for that *hic* scurvy comment, you scallywag.

Ravin- Have you been drinking?! HEY! Get that rope away from me! Put down that sword. Aren't you supposed to have ONE peg leg?

Fire Fox- *staggers in with four peg legs and a peg tail* Blimey! The crock done bit my Rrrrr tail off! *takes a drink of her Vanilla coke*

Ravin- That's not beer!

Fire Fox- *begins to sway from side to side* Rrrrrrrrrrr

Ravin- It's Vanilla coke *takes a sniff* laced with…Nyquil! Alright. Who put Nyquil in Fire Fox's drink? You know HOW she gets when she takes that stuff.

Shadow- *who had been looking around innocently* GRRRRRR!!! (Factoid did, Master!!)

Factoid- *wakes up* What? *runs with a P.O. Ravin chasing her*

Shadow-^.^ *kicks a Nyquil bottle under some chair* 

ª Please review! I love all reviewers! Only three or four chapters to go, then I will be finished! *Everybody smiles happily* But I do have two ideas for new stories, so don't get to excited about my being finished. I apologize again for the crappiness of this chapter, blasted Nyquil. That and I didn't proof-read this chapter too much before I posted it, sooo…..ª 


	10. Griffin's Glory

Fire Fox- Well this is going to be an interesting chapter, I can tell you that! ^.^U

Shadow- RRRoooaarrr. (So you have no idea what you are going to do?)

Fire Fox- Notta one.

Shadow- Rooarrr. (So you are just winging it?)

Fire Fox- Shut up! *throws an empty Nyquil bottle at Shadow* That's enough outa you!

Ravin- So you are resorting to violence in order to avert attention from the fact that you _still_ have no idea what you are going to do?

Fire Fox- *hangs head down in defeat* Sigh.

Disclaimer-A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.

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****

NOW

THE FIRE FOX INANELY PRESENTS:

THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS

Chapter Nine-Griffin's Glory 

The GenoBreaker hollered in pain and outrage as the yellow zoid sank its teeth into its back and ripped off the armor protecting its pincers. It slowly, menacingly turned to face the new opponent. 

__

It's not like Van is going anywhere, Ravin thought as he glimpsed at the broken Blade Liger. "No Saber Tiger will be able to stand up to me and the GenoBreaker," droned Ravin with contempt.

"_The GenoBreaker and I_ would be the correct grammar," smirked a voice from inside the cockpit, "But you are half right. No Saber Tiger tends to challenge you."

Ravin squinted his eyes as a blinding gold light exploded from the Saber Tiger revealing a new zoid.

"I just hope your famed skills as a zoid pilot proved to be a better match than your grammatical skills," mocked the voice. "Or the Battle Griffin will be real disappointed in having traveled so far for nothing."

A surged of dark fury aroused in Ravin; he hated to be mocked by some upstart, who didn't know the first thing about zoids. _The pilot didn't know anything!_

"I came here for a fight, not a grammar lesson!" yelled Ravin.

"I can't be blamed for your ignorance," the voice smiled, dragging up forgotten memories. "You want to fight, fine. But I promise you this though- once I start there is no stopping till I have burnt myself out: till I have satisfied my hunger."

Ravin stopped at the phrase. It seemed so familiar to him, like a dream. The more Ravin tried to remember, the more the memories floated away from his clouded memory. Like the shapes in smoke that he could only glimpse out of the corner of his eye, but when he tried to focus on them they disappeared into the smoke.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ravin just stared at the unknown zoid. Sure, it sounded like _her_, especially the cocky attitude. But she had abandoned him years ago without a word. One spring morning, he had woke up to her empty sleeping bag. Everything then seemed to scream of her, the twilight, wind, stars. It had taken him years to get over her treachery. _Why would she be here now?_

Shadow growled something from inside the zoid core.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Andrea had been holding her breath ever since she made her last comment. Hope stared to push its way up pass the doubt and bud within her soul. _Perhaps there will be no need to fight,_ she thought.

"You know, now isn't the best time to correct his grammar," gasped Moonbay.

Andrea only smiled, "I know, but Ravin is always too full of himself for his own good. And if he decides to fight, I won't be able to defeat him."

"WHAT!" screamed Moonbay, "Are you out of your mind? Why are you here, challenging him? Are you trying to get us all killed?"

"No, I am not trying to get anyone killed," Andrea said bleakly, "I just need Ravin to…."

Fiona watched the girl stare out to the red giant. She felt Andrea's hopelessness at the situation. Suddenly Fiona understood why the pilot was here. It didn't have anything to do with saving people or Van, Andrea picking up her and Moonbay had been a coincidence. It was because she cared for Ravin. She wanted to protect him from whatever harm he was in. That was the main reason Andrea was here facing Ravin, she may have other reasons, but Ravin was the reason of her heart.

"No, Moonbay, I think she is right," said Fiona, "She could never defeat Ravin- not because she lacks the skill. But because she cares too much for him. Her and Ravin obviously share a past."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A red headed man looked down at the paused battle in disgust. He hadn't accounted for golden organoid's master coming. He had thought for sure she would have nothing to do with Ravin.

Hiltz cursed silently under his breath. All his plans called for a decisive battle, for one pilot to be destroyed by the other. It just wouldn't do to have this girl interfering with his plans.

The air shifted enough to alert Hiltz that he was no longer alone.

"What do you want?" asked Hiltz without removing his eyes from the scene below.

"Queen Phiona thought you could use some help. You have proved inadequate in the past," said the stranger in silvery tones. She silently moved to stand by Hiltz; light seemed to follow her like a shadow. Light was her shadow. She looked down at the GenoBreaker and the griffin zoid with cold, wintry eyes. 

"It would seem that the game piece needs to be reminded," stated Hiltz. 

"Yes."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I think Ravin might remember after all," Andrea breathed with a sigh. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do if Ravin had decided to fight. She couldn't let him hurt her passengers. Because like the dark was too much for one person to control so it had split Ravin's mind, the light had split into two forms- Van and Fiona. She didn't understand it, but now that she saw Fiona and Van, it confirmed the thought. If she was ever to end the game, she needed all of them alive.

"Grrowwlll" (I believe there is another reason you fear to fight Ravin and Fiona has the right of it) growled Free Fall from inside the zoid core.

"I think Ravin might stand down!" yelled Moonbay happily.

"I think so too," cried Fiona, "Good, there is no more need for senseless fighting."

Suddenly the winds started to blow. A new power blew in with them too. The same winds but different. Now it sang of the last golden leaf falling before winter, of memories of the summer wood, ballads of the rain falling without end, of sweeping away all of life. It sang of the harvest wind.

"I wish it was true, Fiona, how I wish you were right," sighed Andrea.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

Ravin shivered at the wind even though he was safe in the cockpit of the GenoBreaker. 

The wind keeping singing with millions of tiny voices laughing. However a new voice joined the winds, singing out above the regular song.

__

Happiness will be a stranger to you and yours. Sorrow, bitterness, and trouble will hound you ceasingly even after death. 

"No," Ravin cried desperately to the emptiness. 

How could a voice so beautiful foretell such ugly prophecies?

Yes, no one will speak your name; even your gravestone will stand silent. All is bequeathed to the twilight. And she will take all.

"Who are you?" shrieked Ravin. "You know nothing!"

__

I am the harvest wind. I sweep away all life. And I know all.   
All is bequeathed to the twilight. And she will take all.   
Even the children of the air sing your sad song.

__

People change   
_Beauty fades   
Love dies   
But you will always be alone. _

Ravin dug deep into himself, like someone before him, calling on his powers- calling on the darkness of his soul. The harvest wind told him that the other zoid was the source of all his suffering. Ravin saw only in terms of light and darkness. He saw a dying light coming from behind his side and a dark light burning where the new zoid waited. 

"If I am ever to know peace, Van must die," drudged Ravin. "And if I must kill you, than so be it. You will _not_ take all, after I am done with you."

"What will you be left with, Ravin? After all your fighting is done? If death brings you peace, I will gladly lay down my life for your peace. But answer me, what will you be left with after all your fighting is done?"

Ravin listened to the same questions he had been asked by the dream creature, and the same questions he had asked himself a million times. But still he had no answer to give her, but the emptiness of the wind.

"That's what I thought," Andrea sneered, "You have no answer. As you have deemed Van weak in his love, I deem you weak in petty jealousies. For all your hate and bluster is nothing but envy of what you don't have."

Ravin just let the words whip around him. Anger started to trickle through his soul, soon building up to a flood of cold rage. 

What right did she have to say anything to you, Ravin? Especially after what she did to you! 

"What right do you have to say such things? Especially after what you did to me?" yelled Ravin, repeating the wind's question. Noting know anything except the wind's bidding.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Why is he….why is that voice….?" Fiona asked unfinished questions, not sure of what she heard or saw.

"Why is he, what, Fiona?" Andrea inquired without taking her eyes off the red GenoBreaker.

"Why is he repeating the questions of that voice in the wind?" 

"Are you okay, Fiona? I mean, _voice in the wind_?" asked Moonbay.

"No, she is fine. The wind does sing to some, but you and me can't hear it," commented Andrea absentmindedly. Her eyes furrowed at something Fiona said. "Tell me, did you say 'voice' as in a singular entity?"

"Well, I hear a lot of smaller voices singing a sad, mocking song. But I also hear one predominant voice speaking out above the others. The voice just asked that question after it said, 'All is bequeathed to the twilight and she will take all.' "

"What difference does it make?" screamed Moonbay at the lunacy of the people around her.

Ignoring Moonbay's question, Andrea answered Ravin, "What right do _I_ have? I have all the right in existence. For I am the twilight: all is bequeathed to me and I plan to take all."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Andrea sat trying to catch her breath as she watched the GenoBreaker from her hiding spot. It had been a lot harder just trying to stay alive, than she had previously thought. She knew she couldn't hurt Ravin, but there had to be away to get him out of his shell of power. The wind blew even harder, threatening to cave in the ravine where she hid. The Battle Griffin shifted quietly in the small space. Andrea had to sacrifice the Battle Griffin's ability to fly when she had been forced to use one of the wings as a blade to cut off the GenoBreaker's claw.

"Fiona," Andrea whispered, to scared to talk any louder even though they were safe inside the cockpit, "Tell me, what is the wind saying?"

"Well," Fiona listened, "the softer voices seem to be singing the same song over and over again."

Fiona strained herself to hear the haunting melody of the air that had webbed itself into Ravin's heart and soul. Fiona knew why the song pledged him, now. It was so depressing.

"They are singing 'People change\Beauty fades\Love dies\But you will always be alone_',_" Fiona shivered. "However the louder voice is saying different things, this voice seems more cold and ruthless than the other voices,"

"Well, what is the louder voice saying?" Moonbay asked before Andrea could.

"They sound mainly like curses on Ravin. They vary, but they hold the same theme of loneliness- 'happiness will be a stranger to you and yours. Sorrow, bitterness, and trouble will hound you ceasingly even after death', and 'no one will know your name; even your gravestone will stand silent. All is bequeathed to the twilight. And she will take all'," Fiona looked thoughtfully at Moonbay, "for some reason the one about the gravestone seems the worst of them all seeing has even he can't remember his true name."

Andrea's eyes widen at the blonde's statement. She had figured out why Ravin was acting this way. She suddenly knew what had to be done.

The Battle Griffin stretched its one good wing and crept out of the ravine. It barely managed to leap out of the way of another charge particle gun. Andrea charged at Ravin's side, embedding the good wing in the GenoBreaker's right side. She then tangled her zoid up with Ravin's. She had the Battle Griffin stand on its hind legs and its fore claws pushed against the head of the GenoBreaker in attempt to keep the charged particle gun off her.

__

'Free Fall, leave. Take Fiona and Moonbay and leave. We're out of options. We have nothing left to gamble except my lives. Yours, Fiona's, and Moonbay's aren't mine to gamble. You alone know what needs to be done.'

Free Fall growled a protest from deep within the zoid core has she untangled herself from it. Andrea couldn't be swayed. Free Fall grudgingly assimilated the two girls and left.

"Life is a terrible gamble. The odds are always against it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Do you remember me, Ravin?" Andrea quietly asked. "I remember you."

Ravin sat cold as stone in the GenoBreaker.

"Shadow knows me. You do to, or did. I wish you would acknowledge me, Ravin."

No answer.

"You weren't the only one hurt Ravin. I tried to stay, honestly. But some forces are to strong, even love wasn't enough. I tried to come back, to return, but you would have none. Don't you remember? Or are you to preoccupied with trouble wounds? Have you conveniently forgotten all?"

Still Andrea could detect nothing from the GenoBreaker. Only the wind started to howl louder. 

Andrea tried to recall what Fiona had said, "People do change, Ravin. I have changed and so have you. Change is inevitable. Look at you, Ravin, you have come so far. Please don't turn back now. Beauty fades, but I have always hated beauty."

Andrea stilled herself for the next part. She hated admitting that she depended on people for work, help,….and to be happy. But she had come so far. "Perhaps love does dies, only to be reborn as something more splendid and better. And I told you once, as long as I am, you will never be alone."

"You don't know anything!" screamed Ravin from inside the cockpit. The winds bit away at his soul and heart. He never knew he could be so cold and still alive. 

Andrea stared up at the GenoBreaker with sad eyes, "I know who you are. It is more than you know."

"Damn you! You have taken all and left me with nothing but sorrow and bitterness!"

"I have taken nothing. Sorrow and bitterness is all you have ever known. You thought you could escape Prozen when he died. You destroyed the Saber Tiger and took Shadow back from him. But you still carry his gifts."

"I have nothing!"

"That's right," screamed Andrea, "NOTHING is all he ever gave you and now you punish those around you! You blame others for the emptiness in your heart!"

Ravin only stared at space as if the words where written in the winds and followed around him, engulfing him.

"I will love you till the heaven rains down to the earth, and I will always be with you till the stars crumbled from the night sky"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ravin could barely hear her voice over the wind, but he did hear her. After she had stopped, he just soaked in what she said. Could it be true? Did she come all this way from him?

Or was it lies?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The Battle Griffin fell to the ground.

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Fire Fox- TADA! There another chapter is complete! I hope everyone is happy!^__^ 

I hope you enjoyed it. I think it turned out okay. Not great, but well…. Sorry for the longer wait than usual, but well I have been busy.

Please leave a review. I just enjoy getting reviews so much. I love all of them.

I love Raven. See ya. 


	11. The Land of Tears

FireFox- Hello all. Thanks for the wonderful reviews. It inspires me to write more…now that I have time. 

Ravin- *rolls his eyes*

FireFox- Oh well, whatever. I've really been busy. But I'll try to finish these last chapters pretty quickly.

Ravin- You don't do anything quickly.

FireFox- You would know^_~ Fine, quickly for me anyways.

Disclaimer: Our hearts are drunk with a beauty our eyes could never see. 

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****

NOW  


THE FIREFOX ULTIMATELY PRESENTS:  


THE PROPHECY OF THE ZOIDS  


Chapter Ten- The Land of Tears  
_It is such a secret place, the land of tears. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery_

The Battle Griffin fell to the ground. 

It had been drained of all it's energy. A weak growl escaped from it. It had given all, and it hadn't been enough. It had taken so much energy just to remain in this form without the organoid. Let alone fight the GenoBreaker. It had never encountered an opponent as strong as the GenoBreaker. It felt its pilot beginning to stir within the cockpit. At least, she was alive. It sensed the red GenoBreaker not to far away. The GenoBreaker was still had it's mobility…unlike the Battle Griffin. It just laid in the mud. 

Andrea realized she was still alive…barely. The final blast of the charge partial gun had just about melted her zoid away to nothing. It's last remaining wing had been seared away to a third. Andrea could feel the faint pulse of the zoid core. A sigh relief. The rest of the zoid could be mended. _Good job, my old friend…we've done all we can._

She checked to see if any of the systems had remained on-line. "Nope, not a single one, everything is dead," Andrea muttered to herself. What hadn't been fried, was now covered in mud. She looked to her left and noticed that the glass on the left side of her cockpit had been shattered. The mud had destroyed all the delicate circuitry that had been exposed. Not to mention the interior of the zoid, itself. 

The other windows around the cockpit had been charred opaque from the heat of charged particle gun. Andrea unfastened the restraints and kicked open the hatchway manually. All systems were either frozen or dead.

She looked around her from the viewpoint of her downed zoid. She wouldn't abandoned it, now. If it hadn't been enough, then well…. She noticed the GenoBreaker still standing. It was in ruff shape, not quite as bad off as her Battle Griffin, but then she never really wanted to hurt Ravin, while he had wanted to kill her.

The oil and other fluids from her zoid had created the mud pit that her zoid now laid in. What was left of her zoid was covered in mud. A sigh welled up in her at the thought of all the repairs that needed to be made. The mud would make matters even worst. Even with Free Fall fused with zoid 24/7 it would take over five days. The wings would be the hardest part to regenerate. The Battle Griffin was such a complex piece of machinery. And it had received so much damage. Hardly anything of the original zoid was left.

Small patches of ground still glowed hot from the charged particle gun. Embers decorated the battle field. The field showed all the marks of the battle. 

Andrea just didn't know what to do. It was all so hard. She tried to run her hand, absent mindedly, through her long hair only to notice that the BG wasn't the only one covered with the sloppy muck.

Then the rain started to fall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

The cockpit flew open and Ravin fell to the ground. His minded was still spinning from all voices and battle. _What happened?_

He remembered voices…._"But you still carry his gifts," "I have nothing!" "That's right," the voice said, "NOTHING is all he ever gave you and now you punish those around you! You blame others for the emptiness in your heart!"_

"I know who you are. It is more than you know."

Yes, no one will speak your name; even your gravestone will stand silent. All is bequeathed to the twilight. And she will take all.

"If I am ever to know peace, Van must die. And if I must kill you, than so be it. You will not take all, after I am done with you." "What will you be left with, Ravin? After all your fighting is done? If death brings you peace, I will gladly lay down my life for your peace. But answer me, what will you be left with after all your fighting is done?"

"What right do I have? I have all the right in existence. For I am the twilight: all is bequeathed to me and I plan to take all."

"And I told you once, as long as I am, you will never be alone."

"I will love you till the heaven rains down to the earth, and I will always be with you till the stars crumbled from the night sky"

Did she even say the last part? Or was it wind? It's not like this would have been the first time for the wind to torture him with her voice. A hidden part of his heart hoped for the impossible.

Ravin pushed himself up from the ground. The last attack had taken more energy than he had bargained for. He managed to lift himself up enough to see Shadow fall to the ground. Shadow didn't get up.

"Shadow?" Ravin staggered over to where Shadow lay motionless on the ground. Ravin knelt down and pressed his face against the giant head. "Shadow?"

The organoid let out a weak growl, trying to reassure its master. It started to erect itself.

"No…Shadow…all your energy was spent on the last attack. Just rest."

Shadow shook off his worried master's hands. After many attempts, Shadow managed to stand. He growled comfortingly and nuzzled a side of Ravin's head.

The rain started to fall. It fell to the ground with a hiss, putting out the small fires that splattered the field and washing away the signs of battle. First it was only a small drizzle, but than it picked up. 

"Soon, you won't be able to tell there was a battle here at all," Ravin commented to no one as he watch the smoke's arabesque patterns raise slowly into the air as the rain quenched the small fires. 

"ggrrroowwlll," Shadow growled meekly at the sight of the Battle Griffin.

"Growl," Shadow nudge the frozen Ravin onward to the Battle Griffin. (Don't you want to see her if she is alright and not hurt?)

The color drained from Ravin's face, "What if I hurt her…or worst?"

"Rowl," Shadow rowl'ed soothingly. (I think she knew what would happen…but she still came looking for you)

"GROWL!" (Come on! I'm not waiting all day! Mauve wants to see his mistress again!)

Shadow threatened to drag Ravin over to the site where the Battle Griffin laid covered with sludge.

Ravin tried to push the organoid away. He couldn't help but smile at Shadow's confidence at the situation. Ravin wished he was so certain.

The rain continued to fall harder. It was starting to wash away some of the mud covering the Battle Griffin. Ravin's stomach turned as he saw the mangled shape it was in, but continued on his path towards it with Shadow bouncing behind him.

"ROOOAARRR!" (Hurry up…quit taking forever! Mauve's mistress could just be laying there hurt or bleeding. By the time we get there, the Battle Griffin will have turned to stone!) Shadow roared in the rain.

Ravin stopped dead cold and just stared ahead in the rain. The rain started to come down even harder. A lake was beginning to pool are the downed zoid. It had once looked so proud and beautiful, now all that remained was a defected hunk of metal. Ravin's heart skipped a beat as Shadow's words stung him.

"Roar." (Do not worry. The zoid core hasn't shut off. And she was always a one to be okay.)

Ravin took comfort in the truth of his organoid's growls. _Perhaps if the zoid core is still alive…maybe she managed to…_ Ravin thought to himself. He looked down at the ground for the rest of the journey. He couldn't stand to see the damage _he_ had done to Battle Griffin. He tried to make sense of why he had attacked her. Sure, he had said he hated her, never forgiven her when she left, and refused to admit her existence, but he had never…

He looked down at a small puddle of mud. He saw a guy that had no real purpose any more. _'You sure are a piece of work, guy. A priceless one-of-a-kind piece that's worthless.' _Ravin thought to the image.

Ravin's head snapped up as he heard some noise coming from the zoid. His heart smiled as he saw the hatch to the zoid's cockpit being kicked opened. He watched as the object of his anxieties climbed onto the zoid's head for a better view the battlefield. He smiled sadly as she ran her hand through her now muddy brown hair.

He felt relief at the thought that she hadn't seen him yet as he continued to walk towards the zoid.

Andrea's heart leapt has she saw Ravin walking slowly to her zoid with Shadow limping agitated behind. Her smile softened as she heard Shadow roar something to Ravin. Shadow had his own ideas about who ordered who around at times. _ 'Probably telling him to pick up his pace_,' Andrea smiled tiredly. 

He noticed when her dark eyes flashed and caught sight of movement below. He stopped as she looked down at him in the first time for years. His heart stopped also. What little resolve he had began to break away, he knew he couldn't stand it again if she ran away again. He looked back at those dark eyes. Those eyes just seemed to be waiting…but waiting for what?

Her smile faded a little as Ravin looked up to her. His eyes looked like they felt so… Andrea couldn't quite place the emotion and it worried her. She didn't want to be the cause of any more pain to Ravin. She almost wished she had never meet him, because she had brought so much trouble to the boy. _'You're to selfish for that, Andrea, and you know it. Given the chance to do it all over again, you would make sure it was Shadow who found you.'_

"Roar!" (Come on! She is waiting for us! Hurry up, Ravin!)

'Really, Ravin, can't you walk any faster. I swear by the time you get here I'll be an old lady!'

Ravin stopped and looked up at Andrea when he got to the foot of the zoid. All his hopes, fears, and dreams ran rampant through his body. He felt like they would tear him to shreds. He had to force himself to bring his eyes to meet hers.

"Hello again Ravin."

~*~*~*~*~

Van looked over to where Janine's jade eyes sat staring at the wreckage of the blue Blade Liger.

"Really Van, what is the point of giving you all this nice equipment just so you can go destroy it," sighed Janine. "It'll take awhile for all the repairs to be made. And there is no way of transporting it to a base or something. The thing would probably fall apart on the trip anyway."

"Fiona," Van mumbled quietly as he bent down to check on Zeke. 

"Well when Thomas gets here, or more importantly Beek arrives, I can begin repairing the blue Blade Liger's systems. And Thomas can work with more delicate circuitry. And Irvine…well, he can just stand around and look hot or whatever he does," Janine ended in contempt.

"Don't you think the pilot of the strange zoid seemed very talented? I mean, with the GenoBreaker so damaged, even a regular pilot could stand a chance against Ravin? Right?" Van looked at Janine imploringly. 

Something in his eyes told Janine that Van could easily believed that lie if she said it. He didn't want the truth, he wanted Fiona. Eclipse looked to his master to see what she would do.

"I don't know about a _regular_ pilot," Janine trailed off. Van's eyes turned down to the ground. "But obviously, the pilot was not ordinary. I am sure she is very talented, more than anyone can know. And I am sure, she will do all within her power to keep Fiona and Moonbay safe." 

Van looked at Janine questioningly. She turned back to the blue Blade Liger, afraid Van would press her about her connection. Eclipse only looked at the darkening sky. 

"Rrrggggg."

"Thomas?" Janine turned to see what was troubling her organoid.

A golden streak was the only brightness in the sky. Gravity began to pull the beam down towards the earth. The ray fell with a clunk to the earth like a dead star.

The intense light started to fade revealing a golden dragon collapsed on the ground. Before the light totally faded to nothing, it released it's passengers.

A confused girl looked around trying to figure out where the aurous organoid had taken her and her friend.

"Fiona!"

"Van?! You're okay!" Fiona's heart screamed with joy.

Van caught Fiona tight in hug and spun her around in the rain. He pulled her head close to his heart. 

"Fiona I am so glad you are okay…when Zeke said he sensed you in that strange zoid that challenged Ravin and I couldn't even stand to help…I was so worried. You don't know what it is like to be so close and not be able to help the one you love if your life depended on it," Van traced her facial features with his hands, reassuring that she was indeed okay.

"I know the feeling," Fiona slowly pulled away slightly from Van as his words sunk in, "oh Van, I thought we would be stranded forever in that desert. I was so afraid I wouldn't get here in time."

The two stood together heedless of the downpour. 

Moonbay looked on at the pair with a smug smile on her face, '_Well it IS about time those two got their act together.'_

Janine only turned a paler shade of white and shook her head, "Oh no…no, no. Get up, come on, get up, damnit!" she silently urged the dirt mound behind the two lovers, not even aware of their existence.

Eclipse roared, trying to challenge the mound up. Getting madder and madder, it continued to roared. It looked furiously at the silver one's masters. Didn't they understand anything!

Janine pushed through Van and Fiona without even acknowledging their existence. She rushed to the dead gold.

It's neck was strangely askew as if it were broken and one of the wings were folded back oddly. Janine quickly pushed that thought from her mind, she didn't even dare think about what would cause the owner to order the organoid away. She only concentrated on the organoid with all her soul and mind.

Janine's tears mixed with the rain as she grabbed the organoid's two horns and straightened out the long neck. Lovingly she bent the wings back in the correct position. Nothing seemed broken with the organoid, but why wouldn't it get up? Janine buried her face on the organoid. _NO!_

Moonbay scowled at the girl, "Look here, do you just think you can just ruin a moment like that?! Why they have been waiting for years," Moonbay threatened the girl.

"It doesn't matter now," Janine mumbled.

"What did you say," Moonbay walked closer to the girl about to pull out her stupid green locks when the red organoid jumped between her and its master.

"Ambient?" Moonbay stammered.

At the mention of that name, the red organoid growled even louder. It warned Moonbay with it's snapping teeth that if she continued on this course, she might lose something very precious to her.

Van held Fiona close to him as he yelled for Zeke to protect Moonbay.

"Roar!" (Don't you dare harm the loud one!)

"Roorrrgggahhh!" (Back down silver one! You don't intimidate me. You barely can stand.) It sneered. It was so angry at them all. Didn't they understand? How could they not? The blonde headed one should have! It had been fused with her! Eclipse angrily turned its head to the blonde headed one. It was so angry.

Sensing the malice towards Fiona, Zeke lunged for the back of the red organoid's neck. Eclipse roared in pain and defiance.

Fiona hid herself in Van's embrace as Zeke fought a losing battle. She could fell Ambient's rage at them all echo in her own bones.

The rain fell without mercy.

Zeke lunged again at the red organoid, but Zeke was just so tired. The crimson organoid ducked its head easily and dug his horns into Zeke's stomach. Rolling its head, it threw Zeke down.

"That's enough, Eclipse."

The organoid threw a glancing look at it's master and turned its attention back to Zeke.

Janine stood up, her eyes swimming with fury and helplessness. "I said that's enough Eclipse," she hissed.

Eclipse stopped in its tracks and turned back to his master.

"What are you doing with Ambient?" screeched Moonbay.

Janine smiled sadly at her organoid, "Ambient, uhh? So that's what she meant" She glanced up at Moonbay with a sinister smile, "The blood red eclipse will surround all without their knowing. The blood red eclipse is ambient."

~*~*~*~*~*~*

FireFox- I couldn't resist the play on Ambient's name. All the organoids' names are actual words, except Zeke of course.

I am so sorry I didn't get this posted sooner. I just got a new computer^_^ Yay! And wouldn't you know it, my computer didn't have MircoSoft works like my old but a different program. So I had to covert all my .wps documents...and I had a lot^_^U Then I noticed I was out of CD's to burn them too.

So. Here it is. I hope it is good. Thanks to my loyal reviewers.

Please review^_^ 


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